GOLF BAG HAVING PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHARACTER

Abstract

A golf bag may include a body portion and a lid portion. The body portion may include an elongated cavity, a base, and an open end. The elongated cavity may be adapted to at least partially receive at least one golf club. The lid portion may be connected to the body portion and may be adapted to selectively cover the opening. The lid portion may include a club head cavity adapted to cooperate with the elongated cavity of the body portion. The lid portion may include a physical characteristic of a head of a character.

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to golf equipment, and more particularly, to a golf bag having physical characteristics of a character.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Golf is a sport that is enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds. In recent years, the sport has enjoyed an increase in popularity, particularly amongst children. Many golfers choose to express themselves through their golf equipment and accessories. The golf equipment and accessories industry attempts to cater to the tastes and preferences of a wide variety of people. The teachings of the present disclosure provide improved functionality and lightheartedness to the golf equipment and accessories industry and allow adults and children to expand their means of personal expression beyond that which has been traditionally available.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In one form, the present disclosure provides a golf bag that may include a body portion and a lid portion. The body portion may include an elongated cavity, a base, and an open end. The elongated cavity may be adapted to at least partially receive at least one golf club. The lid portion may be connected to the body portion and may be adapted to selectively cover the opening. The lid portion may include a club head cavity adapted to cooperate with the elongated cavity of the body portion. The lid portion may include a physical characteristic of a head of a character.

In another form, the present disclosure provides a golf bag that may include a body portion having a base and an elongated cavity. The elongated cavity may include a closed end and an open end and may be adapted to at least partially receive at least one golf club. The body portion may include a shape having features of a body of a character.

In yet another form, the present disclosure provides a golf bag accessory that may include a hollow sleeve adapted to be removably secured around a body portion of the golf bag. The hollow sleeve may include an outer surface having a physical characteristic of a character formed thereon. The hollow sleeve may include at least one opening to allow access to a cavity in the golf bag adapted to receive a golf club.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf bag having physical characteristics of a character according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the golf bag of FIG. 1 having a lid portion in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a golf bag having physical characteristics of a character according to the principles of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of yet another embodiment of a golf bag having physical characteristics of a character according to the principles of the present disclosure.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components and devices, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a golf bag 10 is provided and may include a body portion 12 and a lid portion 14. The body portion 12 and/or lid portion 14 may be formed from or include a layer of nylon, plastic, and/or leather, for example, to protect contents of the golf bag 10 (and the golf bag itself) from water damage. It will be appreciated that the body portion 12 and/or lid portion 14 may be formed from other materials, such as cloth or any other textile material.

The body portion 12 may be generally cylindrical and may include an elongated generally cylindrical cavity 16, a base 18, and an open end 20. Structural members (not shown) formed from a polymeric, metallic, or wooden material may provide the body portion 12 with sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape. The cavity 16 may receive one or more golf clubs 22 through the open end 20. The cavity 16 may include one or more dividers 24 adapted to facilitate organization of a plurality of golf clubs 22 within the cavity 16. When fully inserted in to the cavity 16, the golf clubs 22 may extend beyond the open end 20 such that club heads 25 of the golf clubs 22 may be easily viewed and accessed by a golfer.

An outer portion of the body portion 12 may be formed in a shape of a character 26 or a body of the character 26. For example, the body portion 12 may include legs 32, arms 34, a tail 36, and/or any other appendage, feature, shape, or physical characteristic of the body of the character 26. The legs 32 and/or arms 34 may include additional features of the character 26, such as hands, feet, fingers, toes, and/or claws, for example. The legs 32, arms 34, and/or tail 36 may include one or more pockets 38 adapted to store personal items such as keys or watches, golf equipment or accessories, such as balls, tees, gloves, and/or rain gear, and/or any other item that a golfer typically stores in a golf bag before, during or after playing golf.

The legs 32, arms 34, and/or tail 36 may be at least partially filled with cotton (not shown) or other stuffing material to provide a three-dimensional form or likeness of the character 26. The stuffing may be of the type used to fill stuffed animals or other toys, for example. Additionally or alternatively, at least partially filling the pockets 38 with the golfer's belongings (not shown) may provide the three-dimensional form of the character 26. Additionally or alternatively, plastic, wood, or metallic support members may form a wire frame shape of the features, form or physical characteristics of the character 26. Alternatively, a molded plastic or metallic shell may be formed in the shape of the features, form or physical characteristics of the character 26.

As used herein, the term “character” may include an animal, a person, a mascot, a cartoon character, a fantasy character, or a television or movie character, for example, or any other fictional or non-fictional character, figure, personage, animate or inanimate object. It will be appreciated that the body portion 12 may include physical characteristics of a particular character rather than or in addition to the legs 32, arms 34, and/or tail 36 described above and shown in the Figures.

The body portion 12 may include a shoulder strap 40 and a stand mechanism 42. The shoulder strap 40 may extend from a back or spine portion 43 of the character 26 and may be integrally formed with one or more physical characteristics of the character 26. For example, while not specifically shown in the Figures, the shoulder strap 40 may be integrally formed with one or more spikes 44 disposed on the back of the character 26. The shoulder strap 40 may be placed on a golfer's shoulder to distribute the weight of the golf bag 10 over the golfer's shoulder such that the golf bag 10 may be easily carried before, during and after a round of golf. It will be appreciated that the golf bag 10 could alternatively include double shoulder straps (known in the art) adapted to be worn on both of the golfer's shoulders simultaneously to further distribute the weight of the golf bag 10. While not specifically shown, the body portion 12 may also include one or more handles to further facilitate transportability of the golf bag 10.

The stand mechanism 42 may include one or more legs 46 and an actuation mechanism 48. The legs 46 may be pivotably attached to the body portion 12. The actuation mechanism 48 may be selectively actuated to move the legs 46 between a stowed position (shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1) and a deployed position (shown in solid lines in FIG. 1). In the stowed position, the legs 46 may be generally flush with the body portion 12. In the deployed position, the legs 46 may extend away from the body portion 12 and cooperate with the base 18 of the body portion 12 to form a tripod adapted to support the golf bag 10 in a generally upright position. As shown in FIG. 3, the legs 46 of the stand mechanism 42 may be formed from or may include the legs 32 of the character 26. It will be appreciated that the legs 46 of the stand mechanism 42 may include any other appendage or feature of the character 26 instead of or in addition to the legs 32 of the character 26.

The structure and operation of the actuation mechanism 48 is well known in the art. Accordingly, an exemplary actuation mechanism 48 will be described only briefly. The actuation mechanism 48 may include a spring-loaded lever (not specifically shown) disposed on or proximate to an outer portion of the base 18 of the body portion 12. The lever may be connected to the legs 46 via one or more cables, push rods and/or other linkage members. As the golf bag 10 is leaned forward from a vertical position toward a position approximately 15-45 degrees from vertical, the lever may pivot, causing the linkage members to pivot the legs 46 into the deployed position. It will be appreciated that the actuation mechanism 48 may be otherwise suitably constructed.

It will be appreciated that some embodiments of the golf bag 10 may not be equipped with the stand mechanism 42. Such golf bags may be adapted to stand vertically upright on the base 18 of the body portion 12. Additionally or alternatively, the tail 36 may provide stability and/or balance to aid in maintaining the golf bag 10 in an upright standing position.

The lid portion 14 may include a club head cavity 50, an open end 52 and a closed end 54. The lid portion 14 may be formed in the shape of a physical characteristic of the character 26, such as a head of the character 26, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. For example, the lid portion 14 may include physical characteristics of the character 26 including, for example, a neck portion 56 and a head portion 58 having eyes 60, a mouth 62, teeth 64, a nose 66, and/or other features or physical characteristics of a particular character. Any or all of the physical characteristics of the lid portion 14 or body portion 12 may be three-dimensional or two-dimensional. The physical characteristics disposed on the lid portion 14 may be filled with the cotton or stuffing described above to provide a three-dimensional form or likeness of the head of the character 26.

The lid portion 14 may be disposed on the body portion 12 such that the open end 20 of the body portion 12 is generally aligned with the open end 52 of the lid portion 14. In this manner, the club head cavity 50 of the lid portion 14 may cooperate with the cavity 16 of the body portion 12 to enclose the golf clubs 22. The lid portion 14 may be pivotably attached to the body portion 12 via a hinge 68. The lid portion 14 may pivot about the hinge 68 between an open position (FIG. 2) and a closed position (FIG. 1). In the closed position, the lid portion 14 may protect the golf clubs 22 from rain or from damaging contact with foreign objects. In the open position, the golfer may view and/or access one or more of the golf clubs 22. A spring member 70, such as a torsion spring, for example, may cooperate with the hinge 68 to bias the lid portion 14 toward the closed position. In some embodiments of the golf bag 10, the lid portion 14 may be removably secured to the body portion 12 via a zipper, buttons, clips, snap fit, hook-and-loop fastener (e.g., Velcro®), or any other suitable means.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a golf bag 100 is provided which may be retrofitted with a removable cover 102 and a lid 104. The golf bag 100 may be any golf bag known in the art and may include a body portion 106 having a base 107 and an open-ended cavity 108 adapted to receive at least one golf club 110. One or more pockets 112 may be disposed in the body portion 106 and may receive and store a golfer's personal items and/or golf equipment.

The removable cover 102 may be a sleeve having an inner surface 114, an outer surface 116, a first open end 118, and, optionally, a second open end 120. The removable cover 102 and/or lid 104 may be formed from or include nylon, plastic, leather, cloth and/or any other textile material. The cover 102 may receive the body portion 106 of the golf bag 100 and may be retained securely thereon. The inner surface 114 may be sized to fit snugly around the body portion 106. In some embodiments, the cover 102 may be formed from elastic or include an elastic portion to enable cover 102 to expand and contract to fit snugly around golf bags of various sizes. Additionally or alternatively, the cover 102 may include clips, tie straps, buttons, a zipper, hook-and-loop fastener, or any other means for fastening the cover 102 to the golf bag 100.

The cover 102 may be slid over the exterior of the golf bag 100 through either of the first or second open ends 118, 120 and positioned such that the first open end 118 is generally aligned with the open end of the cavity 108 and the second open end 120 is generally aligned with the base 107 of the golf bag 100. It will be appreciated that the cover 102 could include a closed end instead of the second open end 120. In such an embodiment, the closed end may be disposed around the base 107 when the cover 102 is fitted onto the golf bag 100. In some embodiments, the cover 102 may include a zipper, buttons or hook-and-loop fastener adapted to retain the cover 102 in a sleeve configuration. In such embodiments, the cover 102 may be wrapped around the exterior of the golf bag 100 and secured in this position by the zipper, buttons or hook-and-loop fastener, rather sliding the cover 102 over the exterior of the golf bag 100 as described above.

An outer surface 116 of the cover 102 may include a portrayal, form, feature, shape, likeness, or physical characteristic of a character 126. For example, the outer surface 116 may include legs 128, a tail 130, claws 132, scales 134, and/or other appendages, physical characteristics, or body surface features (e.g., hair, feathers, skin, etc.). The outer surface 116 may include a shoulder strap 136 and one or more handles (not shown) to facilitate transportability of the golf bag 100. The outer surface 116 may also include one or more pockets 138 formed in the legs 128 and/or tail 130, for example. Additionally or alternatively, the cover 102 may include an access panel 140 adapted to be selectively opened and closed to allow and prevent access to the pockets 112 of the golf bag 100. The access panel 140 could include one or more buttons, zippers, tie straps, hook-and-loop fastener, or clips to facilitate opening and closing the access panel 140.

While not shown in FIG. 4, the golf bag 100 could include the stand mechanism 42 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In such an embodiment, the cover 102 may include apertures through which the legs of the stand mechanism may extend, thereby allowing the legs to move between the stowed and deployed positions described above.

The lid 104 may be removably secured to the cover 102 and/or the golf bag 100. The lid 104 may be removably attached to the cover 102 and/or golf bag 100 via a hinge, buttons, zipper, hook-and-loop fastener, tie straps, or clips, for example. The lid 104 may include a club head cavity 142 which may cooperate with the cavity 108 of the golf bag 100 to enclose the golf clubs 110. In a closed position, the lid 104 may be adapted to protect the golf clubs 110 from rain, moisture, and/or other damage. The golfer may selectively remove the lid 104 to access the golf clubs 110.

The lid 104 may be formed in the shape of a physical characteristic of the character 126, such as a head of the character 126, as shown in FIG. 4. For example, the lid 104 may include physical characteristics of the character 126 including, for example, a neck portion 150 and a head portion 152 having eyes 154, a mouth 156, teeth 158, a nose 160, and/or other features or physical characteristics of a particular character. Any or all of the physical characteristics of the lid 104 or cover 102 may be three-dimensional or two-dimensional.

While the golf bag 10, cover 102, and lid 104 are described above as including a portrayal, form, feature, shape, likeness, or physical characteristic of a character, it will be appreciated that the golf bag 10, cover 102, and/or lid 104 could include a portrayal, form, feature, shape, likeness, or physical characteristic of an inanimate object such as, for example, a vehicle, a beverage container, a symbol, an object of popular culture, a building or any other object. In some embodiments, features of the character (e.g., arms, legs, wings, jaws, etc.) or the inanimate object may be equipped with a mechanism to allow movement thereof, thereby simulating movements made by the character or inanimate object that is being portrayed by the golf bag 10, cover 102, and/or lid 104. In some embodiments, the golf bag 10, cover 102, and/or lid 104 may include fur, feathers, skins, hides, teeth, claws, and/or other body parts harvested from live or dead animals.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A golf bag comprising:

a body portion including an elongated cavity, a base, and an open end, said elongated cavity being adapted to at least partially receive at least one golf club; and

a lid portion connected to said body portion and adapted to selectively cover said opening, said lid portion including a club head cavity adapted to cooperate with said elongated cavity of said body portion,

wherein said lid portion includes a physical characteristic of a head of a character.

2. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein said body portion includes a physical characteristic of a body of said character.

3. The golf bag of claim 2, wherein said physical characteristic of said body includes at least one of a leg, an arm, a tail, a foot, and a hand.

4. The golf bag of claim 2, wherein said physical characteristic of said body is three-dimensional.

5. The golf bag of claim 2, wherein said physical characteristic of said body includes pockets for storing an item.

6. The golf bag of claim 1, further comprising selectively deployable legs attached to said body portion, said legs being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position whereby said legs cooperate with said base to support said body portion in an upright position.

7. The golf bag of claim 6, wherein said legs include a physical characteristic of an appendage of said character.

8. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein said lid portion is attached to said body portion via a hinge to allow said lid portion to pivot about said hinge relative to said body portion between an open position and a closed position, thereby selectively allowing and restricting access to said at least one golf club disposed within said elongated cavity.

9. The golf bag of claim 7, wherein a spring member biases said lid portion toward said closed position.

10. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein said character is one of an animal, a person, an animated character, and a fantasy character.

11. A golf bag comprising:

a body portion including a base and an elongated cavity having a closed end and an open end, said elongated cavity being adapted to at least partially receive at least one golf club;

wherein said body portion includes a shape having features of a body of a character.

12. The golf bag of claim 11, further comprising a lid portion connected to said body portion and adapted to selectively cover said opening,

13. The golf bag of claim 12, wherein said lid portion includes features of a head of said character.

14. The golf bag of claim 12, wherein said lid portion is attached to said body portion via a hinge to allow said lid portion to pivot about said hinge relative to said body portion between an open position and a closed position, thereby selectively allowing and restricting access to said at least one golf club disposed within said elongated cavity.

15. The golf bag of claim 14, wherein a spring member biases said lid portion toward said closed position.

16. The golf bag of claim 11, further comprising selectively deployable legs attached to said body portion, said legs being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position whereby said legs cooperate with said base to support said body portion in an upright position.

17. The golf bag of claim 16, wherein said legs include features of an appendage of said character.

18. The golf bag of claim 11, wherein said features of said body are three-dimensional.

19. The golf bag of claim 11, wherein said character is one of an animal, a person, an animated character, and a fantasy character.

20. A golf bag accessory comprising:

a hollow sleeve adapted to be removably secured around a body portion of the golf bag, said hollow sleeve including an outer surface having a physical characteristic of a character formed thereon,

wherein said hollow sleeve includes at least one opening to allow access to a cavity in the golf bag adapted to receive a golf club.

21. The golf bag accessory of claim 20, wherein said hollow sleeve slidably receives the golf bag.

22. The golf bag accessory of claim 20, wherein said physical characteristic includes a pocket adapted to store an item.

23. The golf bag accessory of claim 20, further comprising a lid attached to said hollow sleeve, said lid including a physical characteristic of a head of said character.

24. The golf bag accessory of claim 20, wherein said physical characteristic of said body is three-dimensional.

25. The golf bag accessory of claim 20, wherein said character is one of an animal, a person, an animated character, and a fantasy character.