Abstract:
A golf tee apparatus and placement system may include a replaceable resilient flexible golf tee mechanically secured to an anchor to reduce the risk that the tee will move during play. And, like the legendary multi-function “Swiss Army Knife” the golf tee apparatus and placement system may further include a protective carrying sleeve and cover that does triple duty by also functioning as a high leverage tool and handle to ease placing tees on a grassy area.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/098,581, filed Sep. 19, 2008 and entitled “GOLF TEE PLACEMENT AND PRACTICE APPARATUS AND SYSTEM,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates generally to golfing practice and more particularly to the reliable and accurate placement and storage of durable reusable golf tees. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Conventional golf tees lack endurance and tend to move when one hits a golf ball and comes in contact with the tee forcing the need to pick the tee up, replace the tee and reset the height. Newer tee designs are more complex and more expensive than conventional wooden tees, but on impact the tee may tilt or pivot from the head in order to absorb the impact and not fly away or break. Despite these efforts there remains a need for a golf tee that may be easily placed and used repeatedly without breakage or loss. Various attempts have also been made to invent a tool to accurately place these new reusable tees. The following four approaches have been considered, where the reference numbers are those used in the respective patents or patent application. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,999 to Voinovich et al in 1990 teaches a practice tee with a flexible tubular top and a threaded anchor that is screwed into the ground using a detachable handle that is a tool (much like a T-handled Allen-key) inserted downward through the center of the hollow tubular member  18 . Disadvantageously, the tool serves no other purpose and is relatively cumbersome. Voinovich teaches that tee height is set by screwing or pressing the tee into the ground to a level where the lower end of the tubular member is substantially coincident with the ground. Disadvantageously, there is provided no base member or other reliable indicator that the correct height setting has been achieved, which deficiency causes the user to take the time needed to visually verify (e.g., by bending low to ground level and looking into the grass) that the depth setting is accurate—or leads to inconsistency in setting tee height. Tubular member  18  is connected by stretching it over serrations  34  and  36  resulting in a friction fit to anchor member  20  such that the flexible tee is replaceable, but it remains subject to being torn away from the anchor with sufficient lateral force during golfing. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,431 to McGuire in 1992 similarly teaches a golf tee with a pliant riser and a rigid anchor but having no base member to offer lateral support or facilitate rapid insertion to the correct height setting. McGuire teaches a color coded or altered texture tee height indicator  30  marked on the outside of riser  22 , which indicator requires visual verification to set consistently. In use McGuire&#39;s tee is screwed or pressed in to the desired height at which anchor shoulder  48  could be below grade such that the ground can provide some lateral support to resist tee leaning. Similarly, the placement tool taught by McGuire is in three primary components, namely a handle, shaft, and sleeve, that could be one piece or detachable and thus more compactly stored. However, the tool of McGuire includes a relatively thin tool shaft and sharp stabilizing tip  76  that creates a risk of injury or damage to clothing if placed in a user&#39;s pocket. Disadvantageously, like that of Voinovich the placement tool serves no other purpose. Pliant riser  22  is apparently replaceable, but with greater difficulty than that of Voinovich. Anchor  23  has a head  40  that sits inside the hollow core of pliant riser  22  above riser base disc  32  that McGuire indicates may be glued or welded in place above anchor shoulder  48 . From  FIG. 3  it is not entirely clear how the change of flexible tees could occur if riser base disc  32  is rigid. It may be that the lower end of pliant riser  22  is simply stretched to fit over head  40  resulting in a friction fit that remains subject to being torn away from the anchor with sufficient lateral force during golfing. The McGuire patent starting at column 1 line 44 sets out the disadvantages of some prior art. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,013 to Luther in 1998 similarly teaches a crude placement tool (Luther,  FIG. 4 ) that is inserted downward through the center core of the tee (rubbery elastic tube  15 ) suitable for either pressing or threading spike  12  into the ground so as to visually set the tee height of the tubular body. Rubbery elastic tube  15  is friction fit into body  10 , such that it is also replaceable. Luther teaches making the inner diameter of body  10  slightly smaller than the outer diameter of tube  15  and then suggests an H cut creating flaps to enhance the friction if needed, but the resulting friction fit remains subject to being torn away from the anchor with sufficient lateral force during golfing. 
         [0009]    Disadvantageously, by engaging the placement tool to the tee through the narrow bore of the flexible riser—all of these approaches employ variants on a tool design that suffer from a relatively small surface area for connection between the placement tool and the tee during the screwing or pressing action needed for placement. This small surface area increases the likelihood of tool slippage and wear while also resulting in a sharp slender tool shaft—without any substantive counter benefit. 
         [0010]    US application 2007/0202966 by Lipidarov teaches a smooth-edged round supporting disc  22  that could conceivably be adapted to the designs of Voinovich, McGuire, or Luther in order to enhance lateral stability and facilitate accurately setting tee height without the need for visual verification to set consistently. Even in Lipidarov&#39;s  FIG. 8  illustrating an embodiment having an auger like spiral fin  50  on base stake  26 , Lipidarov disadvantageously teaches no placement tool and instead apparently relies on the user grasping either cylinder  20  or supporting disc  22  in order to screw the tee into the ground to the correct height set by the base. Given that Lipidarov purports to teach a high-endurance flexible cylinder design—the use of cylinder  20  to screw the tee into the ground would be an unsatisfactory point at which to grasp the tee particularly for use in dry harder ground. Similarly many users would find it unacceptable to grasp the smooth or even sharp edges of supporting disc  22  with their finger tips thus exposed to discomfort and their fingernails exposed to the soil against which that disc is to be firmly positioned. This design makes it difficult to place or remove the tee because there is no rigid handle-like surface, placement tool, or other external means for golf tee manipulation. Flexible cylinder  20  is centered on and relies on support disc  22  for strength and stability. Lipidarov teaches that tube  24  is centered under support disc  22  but he fails to clearly set out how the three components are connected. According to the best embodiment shown in  FIG. 8  it appears that cylinder  20 , disc  22 , and tube  24  may all be molded together as a single part that is connected to the anchor stake  26  by threads. In this “best case” there is an ostensibly mechanical connection from below to help resist the tee being torn from the anchor with sufficient lateral force during golfing—however because Lipidarov teaches that tube  24  is also “made of soft flexible material” the inner threads connecting it are thus soft and flexible, thereby reducing its effect to that of a friction fit like the serrations of Voinovich. 
         [0011]    It is thus desirable to achieve a golf tee design based on a flexible tee that is mechanically secured to the anchor rather than merely frictionally fit thereto. Similarly it is desirable to identify a placement tool design providing a larger working surface area for engagement between the tool and the tee. 
         [0012]    Design patent 348,296 to Salonica merely shows a stylish auger on the exterior of a conventional tee. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0013]    A golf tee apparatus, for positioning golf balls over a grassy area such as a golf teeing area or a driving range may be summarized as including an elongate anchor shaft, having opposing ends and an auger blade secured there around, the shaft further having an anchor base tip at the inferior end thereof for initiating and guiding the insertion of the apparatus into the soil of the grassy area, the auger blade being adapted for screwing said apparatus into and out of the soil of the grassy area; an anchor head tee support, having opposing faces, located at and the inferior face thereof secured to the superior end of said anchor shaft; a resilient flexible golf tee, positioned on the superior face of said anchor head tee support, for supporting a golf ball a known height above the superior face of said anchor head tee support; and a collar, for securing said resilient flexible golf tee to the superior face of said anchor head tee support while a user plays golf. Said collar may be removable and may have detachable fastening means for detachably securing said resilient flexible golf tee to said anchor head tee support. Said golf tee may a pliant riser that may be mechanically secured to the anchor head tee support by said collar. 
         [0014]    Said anchor shaft may protrude through the superior face of said anchor head tee support and may further include a threaded alignment bolt, for setting the position of said resilient flexible golf tee on the superior face of said anchor head tee support. Said collar may be removable and may include a suitably sized nut adapted to thread on to said threaded alignment bolt, the collar being sized so as to fit over the inferior end of said resilient flexible golf tee and thereby secure said golf tee to said anchor head tee support. Said anchor head tee support may include any polygonal substantially flat plate having at least 3 sides and points for gripping and rotating said apparatus in the course of screwing the apparatus into said soil. 
         [0015]    A golf tee placement system, for reliably positioning golf balls over a grassy area such as a golf teeing area or a driving range may be summarized as including a golf tee apparatus; and an elongate hollow cover sleeve tool, having a body with two opposing ends, including: a first end with means for gripping said anchor head tee support; and a second end with means for gripping said collar, said first end being sized and shaped so that when in use placing or removing a golf tee the cover sleeve tool can pass downward over said collar, without interference, to engage and gripingly engage said anchor head tee support from above; the body of said cover sleeve tool being adapted for a use as a handle to manually screw or unscrew said golf tee apparatus into or out of the soil of said grassy area. Said cover sleeve tool may be of a length and breadth sufficient to house and encase at least the entire anchor shaft, auger blade and anchor base tip during transport, for protecting a user from the risk of injury and exposure to residual soil. 
         [0016]    The body of said cover sleeve tool may further include a telescoping segment for permitting a variable distance between said first and second ends thereby collapsing for storage or extending to house and encase the resilient flexible golf tee during transportation or storage. 
         [0017]    A golf tee placement system, for reliably positioning golf balls over a grassy area may be summarized as including a golf tee apparatus; and a hollow cover sleeve for a use alternately as: a handle and tool to manually screw or unscrew said golf tee apparatus into or out of the soil of said grassy area; and a protective cover inside which said golf tee apparatus is transported or stored. The edges of said collar may both be offset and inset from the edges of said anchor head tee support so as to permit the cover sleeve tool to be applied from above with said cover sleeve tool griping the edges of the anchor head tee support thereby permitting a user to screw the golf tee apparatus into the soil. The anchor head tee support may include any non-circular curvilinear plate adapted to prevent slippage between the cover sleeve tool and said anchor head tee support. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The present invention, in order to be easily understood and practiced, is set out in the following non-limiting examples shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in perspective view. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of a side view one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of one embodiment of the system of the present invention in perspective view showing the golf tee apparatus inside its cover sleeve tool. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a removable threaded collar. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are illustrations of another embodiment of the system of the present invention in exploded view with 2 cover sleeve tools—one being inverted to show the inferior end. 
       
    
    
       [0024]    In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures associated with golf tees have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments. 
         [0026]    Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.” 
         [0027]    Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further more, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. 
         [0028]    As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0029]    The headings and Abstract of the Disclosure provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments. 
         [0030]    According to  FIG. 1  there is illustrated one embodiment of a golf tee apparatus denoted generally as  100  and sometimes hereinafter referred to as Mr. Twist-Tee. An anchor sub-assembly is comprised of anchor shaft  110  operably connected to auger blade  120  suitable for twisting into the type of grass covered soil (not shown) typically associated with a golfing tee area, driving range, or lawn. Anchor head tee support  130  terminates the anchor sub-assembly and is adapted to support a replaceable golf tee preferably in the form of a pliant riser  150  positioned on and secured thereto by any suitable means such as collar  140  shown, according to one embodiment, operably connected to anchor head tee support  130  using mechanical fasteners  145  such as any suitable screw or bolt &amp; nut combination. 
         [0031]    According to a preferred embodiment, collar  140  is removable and threads onto a suitable alignment post (not shown) protruding from the top of anchor shaft  110  a short distance through anchor head tee support  130 . The alignment post is typically a threaded extension of shaft  110  and used to both center and mechanically secure pliant riser  150  to the superior end of the anchor sub-assembly. 
         [0032]    Pliant riser  150  is typically an elongate and generally tubular member that may be formed from any suitable flexible material such as natural or synthetic rubber. According to a preferred embodiment, pliant riser  150  is formed from a light-weight highly-durable rubber formula similar to that used by the Rhinehart company manufacturing lamb nipples for feeding baby animals, which rubber composition and wall thickness has been shown to be very resistant to physical abrasion by golf clubs while still being sufficiently rigid to support a golf ball. 
         [0033]    Anchor base tip  105  is preferably a straight spike-like portion having no auger blade and seen at the bottom of anchor shaft  110 . Anchor base tip  105  is used to initiate penetration into the soil so as to stabilize the auger blade and reduce the risk of damage to the grassy area while thereafter guiding the insertion of the apparatus into the soil. The function of anchor base tip  105  when pressed into the soil is similar to that of a pilot hole drilled at a carefully selected location to start a larger hole. 
         [0034]    Auger blade  120  is any suitable rigid material capable of cutting smoothly through soil. Metal, ceramic, plastic, wood and other materials may be used according to criteria such as cost and application. Typically a functional (i.e., not a ceremonial gift) embodiment of the apparatus would be based on an anchor sub-assembly molded from good quality plastic and having the base tip  105 , anchor shaft  110 , auger blade  120 , and anchor head tee support  130  all produced at once as a single integrated component to which the golf tee would later be attached. In a less expensive (e.g., promotional) throw away embodiment the golf tee could be permanently attached. However, in a better quality embodiment collar  140  and pliant riser  150  are detachable from anchor head tee support  130 . 
         [0035]    Depending upon user preference and golfing conditions, pliant riser  150  may be installed in different lengths so as to support a golf ball at different preferred heights above a grassy area. 
         [0036]    According to  FIG. 2  there is illustrated a cut away side view of the same embodiment seen in  FIG. 1 , but in which it is made apparent how collar  140  is installed over the base of pliant riser  150 . Although mechanical fasteners  145  are shown, it is to be understood that any suitable means for detachably interlocking pliant riser  150  to the superior face of anchor head tee support  130  at the top of the anchor sub-assembly may be used, according to appearance and cost considerations. 
         [0037]    According to  FIG. 3  there is illustrated one embodiment of the system, according to which cover sleeve tool  300  is a simple tubular member that golf tee apparatus  100  slides inside for storage. As shown the body of cover sleeve tool  300  is a smooth moderately sized cylinder that provides a good grip for a typical human hand and as such functions well as a handle. Tool contact area  310  is shown as a hexagonal face molded or machined into the superior end of the body of cover sleeve tool  300 , however it is to be understood that any polygon or non-circular shape could be used for the tool to grip anchor head tee support  130  and permit a user to apply a rotational force to screw golf tee apparatus  100  into or out of soil. The diameter of the upper or superior end  305  of the tool as shown is larger than the lower or inferior end  306 —so that tool opening  310  can slide over collar  140  (shown as a hexagonal plate with screw fasteners) to engage the inferiorly positioned anchor head tee support  130  and frictionally grip it so as to allow a user turning cover sleeve tool  300  to screw golf tee apparatus  100  into or out of the soil of a suitable grassy area. Further, when cover sleeve tool  300  is inverted, the smaller diameter of the lower or inferior end  306  is sized so that so that tool opening  315  engages collar  140  and is thus unable to pass over it to reach anchor head tee support  130 . When so inverted cover sleeve tool  300  is used, on suitably equipped embodiments, to unthread collar  140  from alignment post/threaded extension  405  of shaft  110  and thus permit the removal of collar  140  so as to effect the replacement of pliant riser  150 . 
         [0038]    According to  FIG. 4  there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, in which collar  140  is a threaded nut and the threaded extension  405  of shaft  110  is visible. When a user is replacing a worn pliant riser  150 , collar  140  is slipped over the new pliant riser  150  and then the combination is slipped over the top of threaded extension  405  and screwed down onto the anchor sub-assembly until collar  140  is proximal anchor head tee support  130 . 
         [0039]    According to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the system, denoted generally as  500  in which the means—for cover sleeve tool  300  to engage anchor head tee support  130  at one end and collar  140  at the opposing end—are both visible. In  FIG. 5A  the system is shown in its upright orientation with golf tee apparatus  100  partially inserted into cover sleeve tool  300  through large diameter opening  310 . Inside opening  310 , tool engagement surface  311  is visible forming the outer boundary of large opening  310 . Tool engagement surface  311  is sized to match anchor head tee support  130  such that surfaces  135  and  311  mate, which permits cover sleeve tool  300  to operate as a wrench on anchor head tee support  130 . Similarly, tool engagement surface  316  is sized to match collar  140  such that surfaces  145  and  316  mate, which permits cover sleeve tool  300 , when inverted, to operate as a wrench on collar  140 . In  FIG. 5B  cover sleeve tool  300  is shown in its inverted orientation with inferior end  306  at the top of the drawing. According to a preferred embodiment, engagement hoop  505  permits cover sleeve tool  300  to comprise 2 parts that slidingly engage one another in a telescoping action so that the entire length of golf tee apparatus  100  may be concealed inside cover sleeve tool  300  to protect users from injury and soil. 
         [0040]    The above description of illustrated embodiments, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Although specific embodiments of and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant art. The teachings provided herein of the various embodiments can be applied to other tee assemblies, not necessarily the exemplary golf tee assemblies generally described above. 
         [0041]    The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. 
         [0042]    These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.