GOLF TEE

Abstract

A golf tee for supporting a golf ball above a surface is provided having a lower end portion engageable with the surface and an upper end portion having an upper surface with a first surface area. A plurality of protrusions extend from the upper surface. The protrusions have a portion that engages the golf ball when the golf ball is on the tee to space the golf ball from the upper surface. The portion has a second surface area engaging the golf ball smaller than the first surface area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to golf tees and more specifically, to a low friction golf tee limiting contact between the golf tee and a golf ball.

BACKGROUND

A tee is a stand used to support a stationary golf ball so that the player can more easily strike it. The word “tee” as it relates to the game of golf originated as the name for the area where a golfer played. Modern golf tees are typically placed in the ground or other underlying surface, onto which a golf ball rests upon the tee. The tee allows the golf ball to reside above the surface, thus allowing a golfer to gain an advantage when striking the golf ball. Normally, teeing the ball is allowed only on the first shot of a hole, called the tee shot, and illegal for any other shot; however, local or seasonal rules may allow or require teeing for other shots as well, e.g., under “winter rules” to protect the turf when it is unusually vulnerable. Teeing gives a considerable advantage for drive shots, so it is normally done whenever allowed.

A standard golf tee typically includes a cupped support surface upon which a golf ball rests and a cylindrical shaft underlying the support surface that penetrates or rests upon the ground. The slight concavity of the standard tee allows for a relatively large amount of surface contact between tee and ball. The movement of the ball across the concave surface will prematurely impart an undesirable spin to the ball. This spin will be accelerated by the natural wind conditions of the day. The initial spin will determine the initial flight pattern. It is therefore desirable for the ball to have limited contact with the tee. The club face angle, dimples on the ball, wind conditions and the golf swing should be the only determinants on the flight of the golf ball. It is therefore an important feature of the tee, that there is minimum contact between ball and tee.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, a golf tee for supporting a golf ball above a surface includes a lower end portion engageable with the surface and an upper end portion having an upper surface with a first surface area. A plurality of protrusions extend from the upper surface. The protrusions have a portion that engages the golf ball when the golf ball is on the tee to space the golf ball from the upper surface. The portion has a second surface area engaging the golf ball smaller than the first surface area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a golf tee in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of an upper portion of the golf tee of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a front view of the upper portion of the golf tee of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1D is a side view of the upper portion of the golf tee of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1E is a top view of the golf tee of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of a golf tee in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of an upper portion of the golf tee of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a front view of the upper portion of the golf tee of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2D is a side view of the upper portion of the golf tee of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2E is a top view of the golf tee of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a golf tee in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a top view of the golf tee of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a golf tee in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a top view of the golf tee of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a golf tee in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 5B is a top view of the golf tee of FIG. 5A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to low friction golf tees which limit contact between the golf tee and a golf ball. According to an aspect of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1A-E, a golf tee 20 is provided with an elongated shaft 22 having a lower end portion 24 and an oppositely disposed upper end portion 30. The lower end portion 24 extends substantially along a central axis 50. The lower end portion 24 is configured to engage a support surface. The support surface may be, for example, a surface on a golf course, such as grass, sod, dirt, etc. The lower end portion 24 is constructed similar to a standard golf tee such that the golf tee 20 can easily pierce the ground anywhere on a golf course. The lower end portion 24 includes a tip 26 that may come to a point to aid insertion into the support surface. Alternatively, the tip 26 may be planar so that the tee 20 may rest on a flat surface.

The upper end portion 30 includes a plurality of support members 32 projecting radially outwardly relative to the central axis 50. Together, the support members 32 and the lower end portion 24 have a generally Y-shaped construction. This Y-shaped configuration can be used to assist the golfer in positioning or aiming his tee shot. For example, a golfer may align the Y-shaped opening with the desired target direction and position his body accordingly.

Each support member 32 may extend outwardly at the same angle relative to the central axis 50 or the support members may extend outwardly at different angles. Together, the support members 32 define a wedge shaped opening 34 that accommodates a golf ball. The opening 34 extends between the support members 32 along the central axis 50 and terminates at a surface 31 of the shaft 22 that spaces the support members from one another. Although two support members 32 are shown, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that more or fewer support members may be provided, including a single support member similar to traditional golf tees. The support members 32 are symmetrically spaced relative to one another about the central axis 50 and/or an axis 52 extending orthogonal to the central axis (FIG. 1E).

Each support member 32 at least partially circumscribes the central axis 50 and defines the periphery of the upper portion 30 of the tee 20. The support member 32 includes a concave upper surface 36 having a cupped shaped construction. Collectively, the upper surface(s) 36 of the support member(s) 32 define a top surface of the upper portion 30. Each upper surface 36 may be spaced from the central axis 50 or may intersect the central axis. The upper surface 36 is similar to that of traditional golf tees in that it has a concave construction that follows the general contour of a standard golf ball.

At least one protrusion 38 extends from each upper surface 36 and into the opening 34. As shown in the current embodiment, two protrusions 38 extend from the upper surface 36 of each support member 32, although more or fewer protrusions may be provided on each support member. The protrusions 38 on each support member 32 may be adjacent to or adjoining one another, or may be spaced apart from one another in an equidistant or an uneven manner. The protrusions 38 may be positioned in a symmetric pattern or an asymmetric pattern relative to the central axis 50 and/or the axis 52. Although the golf tees are described as having Y shaped portions including multiple support members 32, it is contemplated that the protrusions 38 may extend from the upper surfaces of any upper portion of a golf tee, such as a cupped shaped upper surface or a planar upper surface.

Each protrusion 38 includes an inner portion 40, an outer portion 42, and an edge portion 44 interconnecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The inner portion 40 extends along the radial extent of the upper surface 36, indicated at L1 in FIG. 1E. Although the inner portion 40 is shown extending across the entire radial extent L1 of the upper surface 36, the inner portion may be shorter or longer than the radial extent of the upper surface. Regardless, a surface 41 of the inner portion 40 has a surface area that is substantially less than the surface area of the upper surface 36. The inner portion 40 extends away from the upper surface 36 and has a concave contour, thereby forming a generally wedge-shaped construction. In this configuration, the surfaces 41 of the inner portions 40 face one another.

The outer portion 42 is positioned farther from the central axis 50 than the inner portion 40 and helps define the periphery of the upper portion 30 of the tee 20. In contrast to the inner portion 40, the outer portion 42 has a convex contour. The outer portion 42 extends along the outer periphery of the support member 32 and provides structural support to the inner portion 40.

The edge portion 44 may have a pointed or rounded construction and interconnects the inner portion 40 to the outer portion 42. By interconnecting the inner portion 40 and the outer portion 42, the edge portion 44 defines the apex of the protrusion 38, which is defined as the portion of the protrusion that is farthest away from the upper surface 36 in the axial direction. The edge portion 44 is therefore spaced a distance, indicated at H1 in FIG. 1C, that is farther from the surface 31 of the shaft 22 than any other portion of the protrusion 38. The edge portion 44 is also spaced farther from the upper surface 36 than any other portion of the protrusion 38.

Each edge portion 44 is spaced radially from the central axis 50 a first distance, indicated at D1 in FIG. 1E. Although each edge portion 44 is illustrated as being spaced radially from the central axis 50 by the first distance D1, those having ordinary skill will appreciate that each edge portion may be spaced radially from the central axis a distance that is greater or smaller than the first distance. Accordingly, the edge portions 44 may be radially spaced from the central axis 50 by different distances.

Together, the inner portion 40, outer portion 42, and edge portion 44 form a protrusion 38 have a generally triangular cross-section or pyramid shape. The protrusions 38 may, however, exhibit other cross-sections, such as square, rectangular, circular, or any other polygonal construction in accordance with the present invention.

Since the inner portions 40 extend away from the upper surface 36, when an object, such as a golf ball, is placed upon the tee 20, the golf ball rests only on the surfaces 41 of the inner portions. This placement spaces the golf ball from the upper surfaces 36 of the support members 32 and the surface 31 of the shaft 22. Since the golf ball is only in contact with the surfaces 41 of the inner portions 40 of the protrusions 38, and not the upper surfaces 36 of the support members 32, there is less frictional engagement between the golf ball and the tee 20. As a result, a golf ball struck from a resting position atop the tee may experience less friction and therefore, may travel farther than a golf ball struck from a conventional tee. Furthermore, since there is a reduced contact area between the golf ball and the tee, the adverse effects of surface imperfections in the tee upon the flight of the golf ball can be diminished.

Alternatively, only the edge portions 44 of the protrusions 38, and not the inner portions 40, may engage the golf ball when the golf ball is placed upon the tee 20. This may be accomplished by reducing the radial distance between each edge portion and the central axis 50 to the point that the golf ball, when placed on the golf tee 20, rests atop the edge portions. The surface area of the portions of the edge portions 44 engaging the golf ball is smaller than the surface area of the upper surfaces 36. Accordingly, since the golf ball is only in contact with the edge portions 44 and not the upper surfaces 36 of the support members 32 there is less frictional engagement between the golf ball and the tee 20.

The tee 20 may be made of any material or materials known to those skilled in the art. Exemplary materials include polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), PHA, wood, and metals (e.g. aluminum, etc.). In some embodiments, the tee 20 may be formed of a biodegradable material, such as a biodegradable polylactic acid-based material. It may be desirable to select a material that has a low coefficient of friction in order to decrease the amount of ball-tee friction.

The golf tees of the present invention can be formed by any technique known to those skilled in the art to be suitable for the production of items formed of the material of choice. For example, if a polymeric material is used, injection or compression molding or machining may be a suitable manufacturing technique.

A golf tee 120 having an alternative configuration for the upper end portion of the shaft is illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2E. The elements in FIGS. 2A-E having a similar construction to corresponding elements in FIGS. 1A-E have reference numerals indexed by 100. For example, the shaft 22 in FIGS. 1A-E corresponds to shaft 122 in FIGS. 2A-E. The configuration of the tee 120 is similar to the configuration of the tee 20, except that the protrusions 138 of the tee 120 are configured and positioned differently than the protrusions 38 of the tee 20.

As shown in FIG. 2E, each protrusion 138 on the upper surface 136 of the support member 132 includes an inner portion 140, an outer portion 142, and an edge portion 144 interconnecting the inner portion and the outer portion. Unlike the protrusions 38 illustrated in FIGS. 1A-E, however, which are distinct from one another, each protrusion 138 on each support member 132 shares a common outer portion 142 that is integrated into the support member.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2E, each edge portion 144 is spaced radially from the central axis 150 a second distance indicated at D2. The second distance D2 is smaller than the first distance D1 illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1E. In this position, the inner portions 140 are still engageable with the golf ball to space the golf ball from the upper surfaces 136 of the support members 132. By decreasing the radial distance D2 between the central axis 150 and each edge portion 144, each protrusion 138 is positioned closer to the bottom of the golf ball. This causes the ball to be positioned farther from the lower end portion 124 of the tee 120 and, thus, the surface in which the tee is engaged, which can be desirable.

An additional difference between the tee 120 and the tee 20 is in the positioning of the edge portion 144 of the protrusion 138 relative to the surface 131 of the shaft 122. In particular, the distance between the edge portion 144 and the surface 131 of the shaft 122, indicated at H2 in FIG. 2C, is greater than the distance H1 in the tee 20. By increasing this distance, the depth of the opening 134 between the support members 132 is likewise increased. A larger opening 134 is advantageous in that it provides the golfer with a larger visual reference from which to obtain the desired target direction and position his body accordingly.

Moreover, the inner portion 140 of the protrusion 138 extends radially along the upper surface 136 a distance indicated at L2 in FIG. 2E. This distance L2 is less than the radial distance L1 over which the inner portion 40 extends along the upper surface 36. Accordingly, the inner portion 140 is smaller than the inner portion 40 and, thus, the surface 141 of the inner portion has a smaller surface area than the surface 41 of the inner portion 40. Therefore, there is lower frictional engagement between the surfaces 141 of the inner portions 140 and the golf ball, which is advantageous for the reasons previously discussed. Additionally, a smaller protrusion 140 results in reduced material and therefore reduced cost.

A golf tee 220 having an alternative configuration for the upper end portion of the shaft is illustrated in FIGS. 3A-B. The elements in FIGS. 3A-B having a similar construction to corresponding elements in FIGS. 1A-E have reference numerals indexed by 200. For example, the surface 31 of the tee 20 corresponds to the surface 231 of the tee 220. The configuration of the tee 220 is similar to the configuration of the tee 20, except that the protrusions 238 on the tee 220 have a different construction.

Similar to the protrusions 38 on the tee 20, each protrusion 238 on the tee 220 includes an inner portion 240, an outer portion 242, and an edge portion 244 interconnecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The edge portion 244 is spaced radially from the central axis 250 a distance indicated at D3. This value may be the same as or different from the radial distances D1 and D2 so long as the inner portions 240 or the edge portions 244 are capable of engaging the golf ball. The protrusions 238 on the tee 220, however, are smaller than the protrusions 38 on the tee 20.

In contrast to the inner portions 40 of the protrusions 38, each inner portion 240 of the protrusions 238 extends along only a portion of the radial extent, indicated by L3, of the upper surface 236. Furthermore, the inner portion 240 and the outer portion 242 are narrower than the inner and outer portions 40 and 42, respectively, in a circumferential direction. Accordingly, the surface 241 of the inner portion 240 has a smaller surface area than the surface 41 of the inner portion 40 and the edge portion 244 is shorter than the edge portion 44. The advantage of this construction is two-fold. Firstly, the smaller protrusions result in reduced material and, thus, reduced cost. Secondly, the smaller surfaces 241 of the inner portions 240 of the protrusions 238 results in lower frictional engagement between the golf ball and the tee 220.

A golf tee 320 having an alternative configuration for the upper end portion of the shaft is illustrated in FIGS. 4A-B. The elements in FIGS. 4A-B having a similar construction to corresponding elements in FIGS. 1A-E have reference numerals indexed by 300. For example, the surface 31 of the tee 20 corresponds to the surface 331 of the tee 320. The configuration of the tee 320 is similar to the configuration of the tee 20, except that the tee 320 does not include projections.

Since the tee 320 does not include projections, a golf ball placed in the opening 334 will engage the upper surfaces 336 of the support members 332. Similar to the upper surfaces 36 of the support members 32 of the tee 20, the upper surfaces 336 of the support members 332 are concave and generally cupped-shaped. The upper surfaces 336 of the tee 320 have an elliptical shape, as viewed in FIG. 4B. A substantial amount of the golf ball is received in the opening 334 between the support members 332.

Although the tee 320 is not described as having protrusions, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the tee 320 could include protrusions similar to those previously illustrated or described in accordance with the present invention.

A golf tee 420 having an alternative configuration for the upper end portion of the shaft is illustrated in FIGS. 5A-B. The elements in FIGS. 5A-B having a similar construction to corresponding elements in FIGS. 1A-E have reference numerals indexed by 400. For example, the surface 31 of the tee 20 corresponds to the surface 431 of the tee 420. The configuration of the tee 420 is similar to the configuration of the tee 20, except that the support members 432 of the tee 420 are positioned asymmetrically about the central axis 450.

As shown in FIG. 5B, each support member 432 of the tee 420 includes a first surface 461 and a second surface 462 that together define the circumferential boundaries of each support member relative to the central axis 450. The first surfaces 461 of the support members 432 extend at a first angle relative to each other as indicated by α1. The second surfaces 462 of the support members 432 extend at a second angle relative to each other as indicated by α2. The second angle α2 is greater than the first angle α1 such that the support members 432 are asymmetrically spaced about the central axis 450. Those having ordinary skill in the art, however, will appreciate that the first and second angles α1 and α2 could be equal.

An additional difference between the tee 420 and the tee 20 is that the tee 420 may not include protrusions of any kind. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the tee 420 could include protrusions 438, illustrated by phantom lines in FIGS. 5A-5B, similar to those previously illustrated or described in accordance with the present invention. In the construction having no protrusions, when a golf ball is placed in the opening 434 between the support members 432, the golf ball rests on the upper surfaces 436 of the support members and is centered about the central axis 450 and the axis 452. Similar to the tee 20, the upper surfaces 436 of the tee 420 extend axially away from the lower portion 422 and radially outwardly from the central axis 450.

Since the support members 432 are positioned asymmetrically about the central axis 450, the golf ball will have uneven frictional engagement with the upper surfaces 436 of the support members or the protrusions 438. In particular, the half of the golf ball positioned closer to the first surfaces 461 of the support members 432 will experience frictional engagement with the upper surfaces 436 between the axis 452 and each of the first surfaces and no frictional engagement between the first surfaces along the angle α1. In contrast, the other half of the golf ball positioned closer to the second surfaces 462 of the support members 432 will experience little frictional engagement with the upper surfaces 436 because most of that half of the ball overlies the space between the second surfaces, which extends over a greater angle than the space between the first surfaces 461.

Due to this construction, if the tee 420 is positioned such that the second surfaces 462 are aimed at the target location and the first surfaces 461 are aimed away from the target location, a substantial portion of the golf ball may experience little or no frictional engagement with the tee 420. Specifically, the portion of the ball overlying the space between the second surfaces 462 will never experience frictional engagement with the tee 420 because the path of the ball away from the tee is in a direction away from the second surfaces and orthogonal to the axis 452. This limited frictional engagement is advantageous for the reasons previously discussed.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. As such, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A golf tee for supporting a golf ball above a surface comprising:

a lower end portion engageable with the surface; and

an upper end portion engageable with the golf ball, the upper end portion including an upper surface having a first surface area and a plurality of protrusions extending from the upper surface, each protrusion having a portion engaging the golf ball when the golf ball is on the golf tee to space the golf ball from the upper surface, the portion having a second surface area engaging the golf ball smaller than the first surface area.

2. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the upper end portion includes a plurality of support members with the upper surfaces defining a top surface of the golf tee.

3. The golf tee of claim 2, wherein the support members define an opening that receives the golf ball, the protrusions extending into the opening

4. The golf tee of claim 3, wherein the opening extends axially to a surface that separates the support members, the protrusions being spaced from the surface.

5. The golf tee of claim 3, wherein the lower end portion extends along a central axis, the upper surfaces being spaced radially from the central axis.

6. The golf tee of claim 2, wherein the lower end portion extends along a central axis, the support members being asymmetrically spaced about the central axis.

7. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein each protrusion includes an outer portion, an inner portion, and an edge portion interconnecting the outer portion and the inner portion.

8. The golf tee of claim 7, wherein the edge portions engage the golf ball to space the golf ball from the upper surface

9. The golf tee of claim 7, wherein each inner portion has a surface that engages the golf ball to space the golf ball from the upper surface.

10. The golf tee of claim 9, wherein the surfaces of the inner portions face one another.

11. The golf tee of claim 7, wherein each edge portion is spaced a uniform distance radially from a central axis of the lower end portion.

12. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the portions that engage the golf ball are not perpendicular to a central axis of the lower end portion.

13. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions includes four protrusions.

14. A golf tee for supporting a golf ball above a surface comprising:

a lower end portion engageable with the surface and extending along a central axis; and

an upper end portion having a plurality of support members extending radially outwardly from the central axis, each of the support members including an upper surface having a first surface area and a plurality of protrusions extending from the upper surface, each protrusion comprising:

a concave inner portion including a surface having a second surface area smaller than the first surface area;

an convex outer portion; and

an edge portion interconnecting the inner portion and the outer portion,

each edge portion being spaced a uniform distance radially from the central axis,

the surfaces of the inner portions engaging the golf ball when the golf ball is on the tee to space the golf ball from the upper surface.

15. A golf tee for supporting a golf ball above a surface comprising:

a lower end portion engageable with the surface; and

an upper end portion engageable with the golf ball, the upper end portion having a plurality of support members, each of the support members having an upper surface for engaging the golf ball.

16. The golf tee of claim 15, wherein the lower end portion extends along a central axis, the support members being asymmetrically spaced about the central axis.