GOLF TOWEL

Abstract

A wearable golf towel can be secured around a golfer's lower leg and can carry a bristled brush so that the head of a golf club can be independently brushed and then wiped after brushing. An adjustable strap system enables a golf towel of a single size to accommodate golfers having various lower leg heights.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf accessories, and more particularly to golf towels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In golf, it is not uncommon to use a towel or cleaning pad to wipe dirt, grass and moisture from the head of a golf club. To this end, various types of specialized golf towels have been developed.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,765,233 and 5,893,190 disclose disposable club head wiping patches that can be removably stuck to the lower portion of a golfer's trouser leg, and U.S. Pat. No. D414645 discloses an ornamental design for a sports towel. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,797,142 and 4,403,366 teach golf towels that can be attached to a user's belt, and U.S. Pat. No. D339496 discloses the ornamental design for a golf towel having a handheld brush dangling from its corner, with the brush being attached by a keychain-type loop. U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,703 teaches a golf towel that can be attached to a golf bag and which includes a main towel and an accessory towel. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0144874 teaches a wearable towel.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,190 to Knudsen discloses a cleaning pad which can be secured to the leg of a player, and describes an embodiment in which bristles extend through the surface of the cleaning pad. This bristled cleaning pad, however, does not allow a user to brush dirt or other debris out of the grooves on the head of a golf club before wiping the head of the golf club, and does not allow a pad of a single size to accommodate users of varying lower leg heights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a wearable golf towel that is secured around a golfer's lower leg and can carry a bristled brush so that the head of a golf club can be independently brushed and then wiped after brushing. An adjustable strap system enables a golf towel of a single size to accommodate golfers having various lower leg heights.

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a wearable golf towel, comprising a textile substrate having a wiping surface, at least one first brush mounting fixture on the textile substrate for removably mounting a brush to the textile substrate and supporting the brush for brushing, with the at least one brush mounting fixture leaving a majority of the wiping surface exposed for wiping, and at least one strap on the textile substrate for securing the textile substrate about a leg of a user.

The wearable golf towel further comprises a brush having a bristled surface and a mounting surface opposite the bristled surface, with the brush having at least one second brush mounting fixture on the mounting surface. The at least one second brush mounting fixture is complementary to and interengageable with the at least one first brush mounting fixture so that the brush is removably mountable to the textile substrate with the bristled surface facing outwardly. When the brush is mounted to the textile substrate the brush leaves a majority of the wiping surface exposed for wiping. In a particular embodiment, the at least one first brush mounting fixture is one of a hook surface or a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement and the at least one second brush mounting fixture is the other of the hook surface or the loop surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement. In another particular embodiment, the at least one first brush mounting fixture comprises a plurality of first snap fastener portions and the at least one second brush mounting fixture comprises a plurality of correspondingly positioned second snap fastener portions that are complementary to and interengageable with the first snap fastener portions.

The at least one strap preferably comprises two straps. In a particular embodiment, the golf towel has a length and a width that is less than the length and has opposed lengthwise edges, and the two straps comprise a fixed position strap secured to the textile substrate to have a fixed position on one of the lengthwise edges and an adjustable position strap selectively positionable on the one of the lengthwise edges, relative to the fixed position strap and spaced from the fixed position strap. Fastener strips may extend along at least corresponding portions of the opposed lengthwise edge, with the adjustable position strap being interengageable with the fastener strips so that the fastener strips can securingly receive the adjustable position strap. In a particular embodiment, the adjustable position strap has a fastening surface extending therealong and comprising one of a hook surface and a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement, and the fastener strips expose the other of the hook surface and the loop surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement to securingly receive the adjustable position strap.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a wearable golf towel, comprising a textile substrate having a wiping surface and having a length and a width that is less than the length and having opposed lengthwise edges. The wearable golf towel further comprises a brush having a bristled surface and which is secured to the textile substrate with the bristled surface facing outwardly, with the brush being supported for brushing by the textile substrate and leaving a majority of the wiping surface exposed for wiping. There are straps on the textile substrate for securing the textile substrate about a leg of a user. The straps comprise a fixed position strap secured to the textile substrate to have a fixed position on one of the lengthwise edges and an adjustable position strap selectively positionable on the one of the lengthwise edges, relative to the fixed position strap and spaced from the fixed position strap.

In one embodiment, fastener strips extend along at least corresponding portions of the opposed lengthwise edges and the adjustable position strap is interengageable with the fastener strips so that the fastener strips can securingly receive the adjustable position strap. In a particular embodiment, the adjustable position strap has a fastening surface extending therealong and comprising one of a hook surface and a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement, and the fastener strips expose the other of the hook surface and the loop surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement to securingly receive the adjustable position strap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded front perspective view of a first embodiment of a wearable golf towel according to an aspect of the present invention, showing mounting of the brush on a textile substrate of the golf towel and securing of the golf towel about a lower leg of a golfer;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the golf towel of FIG. 1, with the brush mounted to the textile substrate and the golf towel secured about the lower leg of the golfer;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the golf towel of FIG. 1, with the brush mounted to the textile substrate and the golf towel secured about the lower leg of the golfer;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the golf towel of FIG. 1, with the brush mounted thereto; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view showing first and second brush mounting fixtures of a second embodiment of a wearable golf towel, according to an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary wearable golf towel according to an aspect of the present invention is shown and is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, and the lower leg of a golfer is shown transparently in dashed lines and indicated generally by the reference numeral 12. The golf towel 10 comprises a textile substrate 14 having a wiping surface 16 suitable for wiping the head of a golf club, a first brush mounting fixture 18 disposed on the textile substrate 14 for removably mounting a brush 20 to the textile substrate 14 and supporting the brush 20 for brushing, and straps 30, 32 on the textile substrate 14 for securing the textile substrate 14 about the golfer's lower leg 12.

The textile substrate 14 may be made from any suitable textile material, and may comprise a multi-layered substrate, for example a first outer layer comprising fabric made from viscose from bamboo, an inner layer comprising a waterproof or water-resistant membrane, and a second outer layer, which may also comprise fabric made from viscose from bamboo or may comprise another type of fabric. Golf towels of this general type are offered under the trade-mark “Amphibian Towels” by Frogger Golf, having an address at 1400 Fashion Island Blvd., Suite 1050, San Mateo, Calif., 94404 and may be adapted for use in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the first brush mounting fixture 18 leaves a majority of the wiping surface 16 exposed for wiping and the exposed wiping surface 16 is substantially free of bristles. The brush 20 has a bristled surface 22 from which a plurality of bristles 24 extend and also has a mounting surface 26 opposite the bristled surface 22, with a second brush mounting fixture 28 disposed on the mounting surface 26 of the brush 20. The second brush mounting fixture 28 is complementary to and interengageable with the first brush mounting fixture 18 so that the brush 20 can be removably mounted to the textile substrate 14 with the bristled surface facing outwardly, as shown in FIG. 2. As can be seen in FIG. 2, when the brush 20 is mounted to the textile substrate 14, the brush 20 leaves a majority of the wiping surface 16 exposed for wiping and the exposed wiping surface 16 is substantially free of bristles.

In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first brush mounting fixture 18 comprises either a hook surface or a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement, e.g. Velcro®-type hook-and-loop straps, and the second brush mounting fixture 28 comprises the opposite surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement. Thus, if the first brush mounting fixture 18 comprises a hook surface then the second brush mounting fixture 28 would comprise a loop surface, and vice versa.

FIG. 5 shows a portion of a second embodiment of a wearable golf towel 510 which is identical to the first embodiment 10 except that instead of using a hook and loop fastener arrangement, a brush 520 is removably mounted to the textile substrate 514 by a plurality of snap fasteners. Specifically, in the second embodiment 510 shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of first snap fastener portions 518 are secured to the textile substrate 514 to serve as the first brush mounting fixtures and a plurality of correspondingly positioned second snap fastener portions 528 are secured to the mounting surface 526 of the brush 520 to serve as the second brush mounting fixtures, with the first and second snap fastener portions 218, 528 being complementary to and interengageable with one another.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it can be seen that in the exemplary embodiment the golf towel 10 has a length L and a width W that is less than the length L, and has opposed lengthwise edges 36. As noted above, the golf towel 10 comprises straps 30, 32; these comprise a fixed position strap 30 and an adjustable position strap 32. The fixed position strap 30 is secured to the golf towel 10 to have a fixed position on one of the lengthwise edges 36, and the adjustable position strap 32 is selectively positionable on that lengthwise edge 36, relative to the fixed position strap 30 and spaced from the fixed position strap 30.

As best seen in FIG. 1, each of the straps 30, 32 has a fastening surface 30F, 32F, respectively, extending therealong. The fastening surfaces 30F, 32F comprise either a hook surface or a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement, e.g. Velcro®-type hook-and-loop straps. Referring again to FIG. 5, one end 40 of the fixed position strap 30 is secured to the textile substrate 14 at one of the lengthwise edges 36 thereof, and a fastener patch 42, comprising the opposite surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement to that of the fastener surface 30F of the fixed position strap 30, is secured to the textile substrate 14 at the other lengthwise edge 36 thereof. The fastener patch 42 is secured to the textile substrate 14 at a longitudinal position corresponding to the longitudinal position of the fixed position strap 30, so that the fixed position strap 30 can be wrapped around a user's lower leg 12 and then secured to the fastener patch 42 by interengaging the fastening surface 30F of the fixed position strap 30 with the fastener patch 42, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

Unlike the fixed position strap 30, the adjustable position strap 32 is not permanently secured to the textile substrate 14. Fastener strips 44 extend along corresponding portions of the opposed lengthwise edges 36 to securingly receive the adjustable position strap 32, and the adjustable position strap 32 is interengageable with the fastener strips 44. In the illustrated embodiment in which the fastener surface 32F of the adjustable position strap 32 is part of a hook-and-loop fastener arrangement, the fastener strips 44 expose the opposite surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement to that of the fastener surface 32F of the adjustable position strap 32. In particular, if the fastener surface 32F of the adjustable position strap 32 comprises a hook surface then the fastener strips 44 would comprise a loop surface, and vice versa. The adjustable position strap 32 can be secured anywhere on the portions of the opposed lengthwise edges 36 along which the fastener strips 44 extend by interengaging the fastening surface 32F of the adjustable position strap 32 with the fastener strips 44, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and as indicated by the arrows A in FIG. 1. The adjustable position strap 32 can thus be positioned, relative to the fixed position strap 30, to comfortably accommodate golfers having various lower leg heights.

In this regard, it can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 that in an advantageous positioning of the golf towel 10 on a golfer's lower leg 12, the textile substrate 14 will be on the outside of the lower leg 12, with the upper end 14U of the textile substrate 14 positioned at the user's mid-calf or upper calf, with the lower end 14L of the textile substrate 14 extending below the golfer's ankle to cover the outside of the user's foot. This assists in keeping grass and dirt out of a golfer's cuff and shoe. The adjustable strap 32 and the fastener strips 44 assist in enabling a single size of textile substrate 14 to accommodate this positioning for a variety of lower leg sizes.

A golf towel according to an aspect of the present invention can advantageously be used on a driving range, since it allows a golfer to first brush dirt out of the grooves of the head of the golf club using the brush 20, and then wipe away the remaining dirt, as well as any moisture on the head of the golf club, using the wiping surface 16. The brush 20 and the textile substrate 14 can be separated for cleaning, i.e. washing the textile substrate 14, and the brush 20 can be replaced with a new brush without discarding the rest of the golf towel 10.

The longitudinal position of the brush mounting fixture(s) 18, 518, and of the brush 20, 520, relative to the lengthwise edges 36, is preferably close to or aligned with the longitudinal position of the fixed position strap 30 so that the fixed position strap 30 assists in stabilizing the brush 20, 520 during brushing.

One or more currently preferred embodiments have been described by way of example. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

For example, in addition to using snap fasteners to secure the brush 520 to the textile substrate 514 as shown in FIG. 5, the fastener patch 42 may be replaced with a snap fastener portion, and the fastener strips may comprise a series of snap fastener portions extending along a portion of the opposed lengthwise edges 36, with the fastening surfaces 30F, 32F of the straps 30, 32 comprising complementary snap fastener portions. In one embodiment, the brush may be permanently secured to the textile substrate, rather than removably securable.

The above description is intended in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Variations to the exact embodiments described may be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims set out below. It is intended that any such variations be deemed within the scope of this patent.

Claims

1. A wearable golf towel, comprising:

a textile substrate having a wiping surface;

at least one first brush mounting fixture on the textile substrate for removably mounting a brush to the textile substrate and supporting the brush for brushing;

the at least one brush mounting fixture leaving a majority of the wiping surface exposed for wiping; and

at least one strap on the textile substrate for securing the textile substrate about a leg of a user.

2. The wearable golf towel of claim 1, further comprising:

a brush having a bristled surface and a mounting surface opposite the bristled surface;

the brush having at least one second brush mounting fixture on the mounting surface;

the at least one second brush mounting fixture being complementary to and interengageable with the at least one first brush mounting fixture;

so that the brush is removably mountable to the textile substrate with the bristled surface facing outwardly; and

wherein when the brush is mounted to the textile substrate the brush leaves a majority of the wiping surface exposed for wiping.

3. The wearable golf towel of claim 2, wherein the at least one first brush mounting fixture is one of a hook surface and a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement and the at least one second brush mounting fixture is the other of the hook surface and the loop surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement.

4. The wearable golf towel of claim 2, wherein the at least one first brush mounting fixture comprises a plurality of first snap fastener portions and the at least one second brush mounting fixture comprises a plurality of correspondingly positioned second snap fastener portions that are complementary to and interengageable with the first snap fastener portions.

5. The golf towel of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one strap comprises two straps.

6. The golf towel of claim 5, wherein:

the golf towel has a length and a width that is less than the length and has opposed lengthwise edges; and

the two straps comprise: a fixed position strap secured to the textile substrate to have a fixed position on one of the lengthwise edges; and an adjustable position strap selectively positionable on the one of the lengthwise edges, relative to the fixed position strap and spaced from the fixed position strap.

7. The golf towel of claim 6, wherein:

fastener strips extend along at least corresponding portions of the opposed lengthwise edges; and

the adjustable position strap is interengageable with the fastener strips so that the fastener strips can securingly receive the adjustable position strap.

8. The golf towel of claim 7, wherein:

the adjustable position strap has a fastening surface extending therealong and comprising one of a hook surface and a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement; and

the fastener strips expose the other of the hook surface and the loop surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement to securingly receive the adjustable position strap.

9. A wearable golf towel, comprising:

a textile substrate having a wiping surface;

the textile substrate having a length and a width that is less than the length and having opposed lengthwise edges;

a brush having a bristled surface;

the brush secured to the textile substrate with the bristled surface facing outwardly and supported for brushing by the textile substrate and leaving a majority of the wiping surface exposed for wiping; and

straps on the textile substrate for securing the textile substrate about a leg of a user, the straps comprising: a fixed position strap secured to the textile substrate to have a fixed position on one of the lengthwise edges; and an adjustable position strap selectively positionable on the one of the lengthwise edges, relative to the fixed position strap and spaced from the fixed position strap.

10. The golf towel of claim 9, wherein:

fastener strips extend along at least corresponding portions of the opposed lengthwise edges; and

the adjustable position strap is interengageable with the fastener strips so that the fastener strips can securingly receive the adjustable position strap.

11. The golf towel of claim 10, wherein:

the adjustable position strap has a fastening surface extending therealong and comprising one of a hook surface and a loop surface of a hook and loop fastener arrangement; and

the fastener strips expose the other of the hook surface and the loop surface of the hook and loop fastener arrangement to securingly receive the adjustable position strap.