Golf club head cover and method of use

Abstract

A golf club head cover comprises an enclosure formed by a pair of complementary cover sections connected to pivot about a manually actuated spring-biased clip member. The clip member normally biases the cover sections into a closed condition adapted to enclose a head of a golf club. The clip member includes a pair of handle elements projecting outward from the enclosure that are adapted to be gripped between the thumb and one or more fingers by a user and depressed towards each other to move the cover sections so they pivot and spread apart into an open condition. The user grips the handle elements with one hand and depresses them so the enclosure is in the open condition. While maintaining a grip on the handle elements to keep the enclosure in the open condition, the user with his or her other hand places the head of a golf club between the spread apart cover sections, or withdraws the head, as the case may be. When the head of a golf club is between the spread apart cover sections in the open condition, or is withdrawn, the user releases the grip on the handle elements so the cover sections come together automatically into the closed condition.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents, hard copy or electronic, cited or referred to in this application are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this application.

DEFINITIONS

The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.

The word “rectangular” includes square.

The words “substantially” and “essentially” have equivalent meanings.

BACKGROUND

U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,832 discloses a manually operated golf club head cover comprising a pair of sections connected by a series of double action-spring loaded hinges along a longitudinal axis. A user needs both hands to open and close this head cover. Consequently, it is inconvenient to use.

SUMMARY

Our golf club head cover and method of use has one or more of the features depicted in the embodiments discussed in the section entitled “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS.” Our head cover is opened with one hand, is maintained open with this one hand, and, as the case may be, the golf club head is removed from or inserted into our opened head cover. Consequently, the user opens our head cover with one hand and, while open, inserts or removes the golf club head with the other hand. Our head cover automatically closes upon release of the user's grip. The claims that follow define our golf club head cover and method of use, distinguishing them from the prior art; however, without limiting the scope of our golf club head cover and method of use as expressed by these claims, in general terms, some, but not necessarily all, of their features are.

One, our golf club head cover comprises body including a pair of cover sections and a clip member connecting the cover sections. The clip member has a manually operable actuator mechanism such as handle elements that project from the connected cover sections. The body has an open condition enabling it to receive the head of a golf club and a closed condition substantially enclosing the club head therein. Each cover section has a predetermined configuration and each includes a perimeter. These perimeters abut when the body is in the closed condition. The cover sections may be connected to pivot about a longitudinal centerline along a backside of the body.

Two, the clip member has an open position and a closed position, and it includes a pair of arms hinged together and a spring element connected to the arms to normally bias the clip member into the closed position. Each arm includes a mounting element and a handle element. One cover section is connected to the mounting element of one arm and the other cover section is connected to the mounting element of the other arm. The handle elements may be positioned opposite each other along a portion of the abutting perimeters. They are oriented so that manually gripping and depressing the handle elements using only one hand overcomes the bias of the spring element. Depressing the handle elements moves the clip member to the open position by pivoting the hinged together arms to separate the cover sections to form the open condition of the body so long as the handle elements are manually depressed. Upon release of manually gripping the handle elements, the spring element moves the separated cover sections together to rejoin the cover sections along the perimeters to form the closed condition of the body. In other words the chip member functions as a single action hinge, namely, only urges the hinge into a closed condition. In one embodiment, only a single clip member is used and it may be positioned substantially centrally a longitudinal centerline in a backside of the enclosure.

Three, each cover section may include a frame covered by a flexible sheet material or each cover section may be molded from a plastic and are substantially rigid. In the case of the sheet covered frame, the frame forms a substantial portion of the perimeter of its corresponding cover section. In either case, the perimeters of each cover section may include a mating segment that mates with a complementary mating segment of the other cover section. For example, in one frame its perimeter has a male cross section, and in the other frame its perimeter has a female cross section, allowing the two cover sections to come together in alignment upon closure.

Four, the body has a topside, and one cover section may have along a segment of its perimeter in the topside a laterally projecting portion. The other cover section may have along a segment of its perimeter in the topside a recess portion that is aligned with and that receives the laterally projecting portion when the body is in the closed condition. The laterally projecting portion and the recess portion may each be substantially semi-circular shaped and they may have a common center when the body is in the closed condition.

Five, our method of covering and uncovering the head of a golf club employs our golf club head cover, which forms an enclosure by the mating of the pair of complementary cover sections. Importantly, the pair of handle elements are accessible, for example, they may be along the longitudinal centerline in a backside of the enclosure, and adapted to be gripped between the thumb and one or more fingers by a user and depressed towards each other to move the cover sections so they pivot and spread apart into an open condition. According to our method, the user with one hand grips the handle elements and depresses them so the enclosure is in the open condition, maintains the grip on the handle elements to keep the enclosure in the open condition while placing the head of a golf club between the spread apart cover sections, or removing it. While in the open condition, with the head of a golf club between the spread apart cover sections, or removed therefrom, the user releases the grip on the handle elements so the cover sections come together. This opening and closing is done with only one hand of the user, while the user with the other hand places or removes the head of the club into or from, as the case may be, our opened head cover.

These features are not listed in any rank order nor is this list intended to be exhaustive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Some embodiments of our golf club head cover and method of use are discussed in detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only. This drawing includes the following figures (Figs.), with like numerals indicating like parts:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of our golf club head cover.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a top plan view, with sections broken away, of the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a top plan view of one alternate embodiment of our golf club head cover having a circular topside.

FIG. 3C is a top plan view of another alternate embodiment of our golf club head cover having a substantially rectangular topside.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a pair of frames, shown in an open condition, forming in part a pair of cover sections of the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the pair of frames in the open condition depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the pair of frames depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 shown in a closed condition.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the pair of frames depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 shown in a closed condition.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the pair of frames depicted in FIG. 7 in a closed condition.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the pair of frames depicted in FIG. 7 in a closed condition.

FIG. 10 is an exploded rear perspective view of the pair of frames depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 facing each other.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10A-10A of FIG. 10 depicting the concave configuration of the perimeter of one frame.

FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10B-10B of FIG. 10 depicting the convex configuration of the perimeter of the other frame.

FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view illustrating how the perimeters of the pair of frames engage and mate along their respective perimeters.

FIG. 11A is a top plan view showing a user gripping the handle elements of the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11B is a top plan view similar to that of FIG. 11A showing the user depressing the handle elements to place our golf club head cover in the open condition, and while maintaining the grip on the handle elements, inserting the head of a golf club between the partially separated cover sections of our golf club head cover.

FIG. 12A is a front view of yet another embodiment of our golf club head cover in the open condition.

FIG. 12B is a rear view of the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIG. 12A in the open condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

General

As disclosed herein, our golf club head cover may have several different embodiments. The numeral 10 designates the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIGS. 1 through 3A and FIGS. 4 through 11B; the numeral 10a designates the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIG. 3B; the numeral 10b designates the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIG. 3C; and the numeral 10c designates the embodiment of our golf club head cover shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B. These embodiments are not in all respects equivalent.

All the embodiments include a body B comprising a pair of cover sections S1 and S2 and a manually actuated spring-biased clip member CM that normally holds the cover sections in a closed condition (FIGS. 1, 2, 3A through 3C, and 11A). The cover sections S1 and S2 each have a predetermined configuration so that, in the closed condition, the body B is adapted to substantially enclose a head H (phantom lines FIG. 11B) of a golf club. The body B has an open condition (FIGS. 11B and 12A and 12B) enabling the body the head H to be received within or withdrawn from our open head cover. Each cover section S1 and S2 includes a perimeter P1 and P2, respectively. These perimeters P1 and P2 abut substantially along their entire extend when the body B is in the closed condition. A manually operable actuator mechanism, for example, a pair of handle elements H1 and H2 operably connected to and an integral part of a hinge 12 (FIGS. 4, 5, 10, and 12A) of the clip member CM, projects outward from the exterior of the body B to enable a user with one hand to grip and operate the actuator mechanism, causing the cover sections S1 and S2 to at least partially separate and move into the open condition when depressed. Upon the user releasing his or her grip of the actuator mechanism, a spring element (leaf spring 30a FIGS. 6 and 10 and coiled spring 30b FIG. 12A) of the clip member CM rejoins the partially separated cover sections S1 and S2 to return the body B to its normally closed condition.

FIGS. 1 through 3A, and FIGS. 4 through 11B

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3A and FIGS. 4 through 11B, in the embodiment of our golf head cover designated by the numeral 10, the cover sections S1 and S2 each includes a frame F1 and F2, respectively. The frames F1 and F2 are covered by a flexible sheet material 14 that is shaped into the predetermined configuration of each cover section S1 and S2. This sheet material 14 may be a fabric, plastic or any suitable flexible material and it is bonded with an adhesive or otherwise attached to the frames F1 and F2. The sheet material 14 may be formed into any suitable shape that corresponds to the shape of the golf club head H being covered so the cover section S1 and S2 are complementary and each constitutes substantially half of the body B. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the body B in the closed condition thus forms an enclosure for the golf head H that has a front side 18a, a backside 18b, topside 18c, and a bottom side 18d.

The cover section S1 and S2 are substantially mirror images of each other except for their central top segments. As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cover section S1 has along its top central segment of its perimeter P1 a laterally projecting portion 16a and the cover section S2 has along its top central segment of its perimeter P1 a recess portion 16b that is aligned with and that receives the laterally projecting portion 16b when the body B is in the closed condition. The laterally projecting portion 16a and the recess portion 16b are each substantially semi-circular shaped and they have a common center C (FIG. 3A) when the body B is in the closed condition. The cover sections S1 and S2 are connected by the clip member CM, which is in the backside 18b and positioned to pivot about a longitudinal centerline CL along the backside of the body B. In the closed condition, the body B forms in an upper portion 11 an enlarged upper interior for a head of a golf club and in a lower portion 12 a lower reduced sized interior for a hosel of a golf club.

The frames F1 and F2 are components that respectively form the perimeters P1 and P2 of the cover sections S1 and S2 of this embodiment cover 10. These frames F1 and F2 may be molded from a plastic and each includes a rear portion 12a and 12b, respectively, forming a mounting element of an arm of the hinge 12. These arm portions 12a and 12b are hinged together substantially along the centerline CL in the backside 18b of the cover 10 and a leaf spring element 30a is connected to the arms in a manner that normally biases the clip member CM into a closed position (FIGS. 6 through 9), moving the cover sections 51 and S2 into the closed condition. Since each mounting element of an arm of the hinge 12 is integral with one frame F1 or F2, as the case may be, the cover section 51 is connected to one arm portion 12a and the other cover section S2 is connected to the other arm portion 12b.

The handle elements H1 and H2 project from the connected cover sections S1 and S2 and are positioned opposite each other along a portion of the abutting perimeters P1 and P2. These handle elements H1 and H2 are oriented so that manually gripping and depressing them using only one hand overcomes the bias of the leaf spring element 30a to move the clip member CM to the open position by pivoting the hinged together arm portions 12a and 12b to separate the cover sections S1 and S2. This produces the open condition of the body B, which is maintained so long as the handle elements H1 and H2 are manually depressed. Upon release of manually gripping the handle elements H1 and H2 the leaf spring element 30a moves the partially separated cover sections S1 and S2 together to rejoin them along essentially the entire perimeters P1 and P2 to form the closed condition of the body B. As shown in FIGS. 10A through 10C, the perimeters P1 and P2 of each cover section 51 and S2 includes a mating segment, for example, the edge ED1 of the frame F1 may have a concave cross-sectional configuration and the edge ED2 of the frame F2 may have a convex cross-sectional configuration. These complementary mating segments mate when the body B is in the closed condition as depicted in FIG. 10C.

FIGS. 3A and 3B

The embodiment of our golf club head cover designated by the numeral 10a depicts a body B′ where its topside 18c′ has a circular configuration and the embodiment of our golf club head cover designated by the numeral 10b depicts a body B″ where its topside 18c″ has a substantially rectangular configuration. Otherwise these cover members 10a and 10b are essentially the same as the cover member 10.

FIGS. 12A and 12B

The embodiment of our golf club head cover designated by the numeral 10c depicts a cover member CM′ having its cover sections S1′ and S2′ each molded from a plastic. The cover sections S1′ and S2′ are substantially rigid and the hinge H has a coiled spring 30b oriented lengthwise along the centerline CL of the backside 18b.

Method of Use

All the embodiments of our golf head cover member as discussed above are used in the same way, namely, a user inserts or removes the golf club head H from between the separated cover sections using only one hand to hold the cover member in the open position. The handle elements H1 and H2 projecting outward from the backside 18b of the body B are easily accessible by the user and are adapted to be gripped between the user's thumb and one or more fingers. The user grips the handle elements H1 and H2 with one hand as depicted in FIG. 11A, and then using only the one hand depresses these handle elements towards each other as depicted in FIG. 11B. Depressing the handle elements H1 and H2 moves the cover sections S1 and S2 so they pivot about the centerline CL and spread apart into the open condition adapted to receive or withdraw the head H of a golf club. While the user maintains his or her grip on the handle elements H1 and H2 to keep the body B in the open condition, the user with his or her other hand places the head of a golf club between the spread apart cover sections S1 and S2, or withdraws it. When the head of a golf club is between the spread apart cover sections S1 and S2, or removed therefrom, the user releases his or her grip on the handle elements H1 and H2 so the leaf spring 30a or the coiled spring 30b, as the case may be, urges the cover sections to come together into the closed condition. Thus, with only one hand and with a single grip-hold-release action is able to manipulate our golf club head cover and open and close it.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

The above presents a description of the best mode we contemplate of carrying out our golf club head cover, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use our golf club head cover. Our golf club head cover is, however, susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from the illustrative embodiments discussed above which are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit our golf club head cover to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, our intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit and scope of our golf club head cover as generally expressed by the following claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of our invention:

Claims

1. A golf club head cover comprising

a body having an open condition enabling the body to receive the head of a golf club and a closed condition substantially enclosing said head therein, said body including a pair of cover sections each with a predetermined configuration and each including a perimeter, said perimeters abutting when the body is in the closed condition, and

a clip member connecting the cover sections and having an open position and a closed position, said clip member including a pair of arms hinged together and a spring element connected to the arms to normally bias the clip member into the closed position, each arm including a mounting element and a handle element, one cover section being connected to the mounting element of one arm and the other cover section being connected to the mounting element of the other arm,

said handle elements projecting from the connected cover sections and positioned opposite each other along a portion of the abutting perimeters and oriented so that manually gripping and depressing the handle elements using only one hand overcomes the bias of the spring element to move the clip member to the open position by pivoting the hinged together arms to separate the cover sections to form the open condition of the body so long as the handle elements are manually depressed and, upon release of manually gripping the handle elements, said spring element moving the separated cover sections together to rejoin said cover sections along said perimeters to form the closed condition of the body.

2. The golf club head cover of claim 1 where each cover section includes a frame forming a substantial portion of the perimeter of the frame's corresponding cover section and each frame having attached thereto sheet material covering the frame.

3. The golf club head cover of claim 1 where the perimeter of each cover section includes a mating segment that mates with a complementary mating segment of the other cover section.

4. The golf club head cover of claim 1 where the body has a topside and one cover section has along a segment of its perimeter in said topside a laterally projecting portion and the other cover section has along a segment of its perimeter in said topside a recess portion that is aligned with and that receives said laterally projecting portion when the body is in the closed condition.

5. The golf club head cover of claim 4 where the laterally projecting portion and the recess portion are each substantially semi-circular shaped and they have a common center when the body is in the closed condition.

6. The golf club head cover of claim 4 where the cover sections are each molded from a plastic and are substantially rigid.

7. A golf club head cover comprising

a body including a pair of cover sections,

a hinge connecting the cover sections together and enabling the cover sections to pivot about the hinge, moving between a closed condition that provides an interior space formed between the cover sections when the cover sections come together and an open condition where the cover sections are at least partially separated to enable the head of a golf club to be inserted between the separated cover sections and enclosed within the interior space when the cover sections are in the closed condition,

a spring connected to the hinge to normally bias the hinge to move the cover sections together, and

a manually operable actuator mechanism operably connected to the hinge and projecting outward from an exterior of the body that enables a user with one hand to grip and operate the actuator mechanism, causing the cover sections to at least partially separate and move into an open condition and, upon release of the grip of the actuator mechanism, said spring element moving the partially separated cover sections together.

8. The golf club head cover of claim 7 where each cover section includes a perimeter and each perimeter includes a mating segment that mates with a complementary mating segment of the other cover section's perimeter.

9. The golf club head cover of claim 7 where the body has a topside and one cover section has along a segment of a perimeter thereof in said topside a laterally projecting portion and the other cover section has along a segment of a perimeter thereof in said topside a recess portion that is aligned with and that receives said laterally projecting portion when the cover sections are in the closed condition.

10. The golf club head cover of claim 9 where the laterally projecting portion and the recess portion are each substantially semi-circular shaped and they have a common center when the body is in the closed condition.

11. A golf club head cover comprising

a body providing an enclosure formed by a pair of complementary cover sections that each constitute substantially half of the body,

said cover sections connected to pivot about a longitudinal centerline along a backside of the body by a manually actuated spring-biased clip member that normally biases the cover sections into a closed condition adapted to enclose a head of a golf club,

said clip member being in the backside of the body and including a pair of handle elements projecting outward from the backside of the body that are adapted to be gripped between the thumb and one or more fingers by a user and depressed towards each other to move the cover sections so they pivot and spread apart into an open condition in a front side of the body that is adapted to receive the head of a golf club.

12. The golf club head cover of claim 11 including an enlarged upper interior for a head of a golf club and a lower reduced sized interior for a hosel of a golf club.

13. The golf club head cover of claim 11 where the cover sections have abutting perimeters in the closed position and the handle elements are positioned opposite each other along a portion of the abutting perimeters and oriented so that manually gripping and depressing the handle elements using only one hand overcomes the spring bias of the clip member to move the cover sections into the open condition so long as the handle elements are manually depressed and, upon release of manually gripping the handle elements, the separated cover sections rejoin along said perimeters to form the closed condition of the body.

14. The golf club head cover of claim 11 where the clip member functions as a single action spring-biased hinge that is positioned substantially centrally a longitudinal centerline in a backside of the enclosure.

15. The golf club head cover of claim 14 where there is a single clip member along the longitudinal centerline.

16. A method of covering and uncovering the head of a golf club including the steps of

(a) providing a user with a golf club head cover comprising

an enclosure formed by a pair of complementary cover sections connected to pivot about a manually actuated spring-biased clip member that normally biases the cover sections into a closed condition adapted to enclose a head of a golf club, said clip member including a pair of handle elements projecting outward from said enclosure that are adapted to be gripped between the thumb and one or more fingers by a user and depressed towards each other to move the cover sections so they pivot and spread apart into an open condition so the head of a golf club may be inserted or withdrawn, and

(b) with one hand the user grips the handle elements and depresses them so the enclosure is in the open condition,

(c) said user maintaining the grip on the handle elements to keep the enclosure in the open condition while placing the head of a golf club between the spread apart cover sections, or withdrawing it, and

(d) when the head of a golf club is between the spread apart cover sections in the open condition, or removed therefrom, said user releasing the grip on the handle elements so the cover sections come together into the closed condition.

17. The method of claim 16 where the handle elements are along a longitudinal centerline in a backside of the enclosure.