Abstract:
A golf marker holder has a body. An anchor extends from the body and is adapted to be received by an opening within the grip of a golf club handle. An open-ended slit is formed within the body and dimensioned to receive a marker. The slit defines the travel path within the body for the marker. A biasing member is disposed within the body to operatively communicate with the slit to maintain a tension fit against a marker as a marker moves through the slit along the travel path.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention is directed to a device for holding a golf ball marker, in particular, a device that is capable of being secured on a retrofit basis to a golf club such as a putter and holding a golf ball marker therein. 
         [0002]    Golf ball markers are well known in the art and primarily take the form of small dime-sized disks capable of being carried in the pocket of the user. Golf ball markers, as they are known, are used by players to mark their particular ball so as not to interfere with the play of others, and to allow the removal of a ball in play for cleaning or maintenance. It is customary, particularly on the green, for the player closer to the hole to remove his ball to permit a player farther away from the hole to putt without interference. In order to keep track of and maintain the removed ball&#39;s original position, a marker, usually a small disk such as a coin or a specially designed piece is placed where the ball had been. 
         [0003]    These disks or markers in and of themselves are satisfactory. However, they need to be carried in a manner that is convenient to the player around the course during play. Although a pocket may seem an obvious place in which to carry the marker while golfing, the player&#39;s pocket may be full of tees, spare golf balls, change or the like, making it inconvenient and cumbersome to fish the marker out of the pocket, particularly when the player is wearing golf gloves. 
         [0004]    Various devices have been developed to carry a golf ball marker around the course including forming the marker as a snap button on a golf glove, forming the marker as a magnetic pin affixable to clothing and, even as known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,858,925 and 3,774,913, mechanisms for removably affixing the golf ball marker to a golf club. However, each of these devices requires a specially crafted golf marker to interact with the carrying mechanism. Therefore, if one were to misplace or lose the marker, the player must purchase a new specially designed marker to use as a replacement. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, a system, which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art, is desired. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A golf marker holder has a body. An anchor extends from the body and is adapted to be received by an opening within the grip of a golf club handle. An open-ended slit is formed within the body and dimensioned to receive a marker. The slit defines the travel path within the body for the marker. A biasing member is disposed within the body to operatively communicate with the slit to maintain a tension fit against a marker as a marker moves through the slit along the travel path. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of the device, showing the inner mechanism, constructed in accordance with the invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the device constructed in accordance with the invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a view of the device in use showing a golf club in phantom in accordance with the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    Reference is made to  FIG. 1  in which a device, generally indicated as  100  for securing a golf ball marker to a golf club is provided. Device  100  includes a body  110 . Body  110  includes an anchor member  112  extending from a bottom surface  114  of body  110 . Anchor member  112  includes a shaft  116  and a chamfered head  118  formed with shaft  116  and spaced from body  110  by shaft  116 . In a preferred non-limiting embodiment, shaft  116  is threaded to be received by body  110  and extends into body  110  as will be described later. 
         [0013]    A retaining member  120  ( FIG. 2 ) is formed on body  110  and is spaced from a top surface  124  of body  1   10 . Body  110  cooperates with overhanging retaining member  120  to form a closed end slot  122 . Slot  122  is dimensioned to receive a golf marker such as some specially designed or customized flat disk as known in the art, or a dime or penny as is also commonly used in golf play. 
         [0014]    It should be noted that retaining member  120  can form slot  122  so long as there is a space between overhang member  120  and top surface  124  of body  110 . Slot  122  may be formed by a substantially horseshoe-shaped member  120  so that the marker is caught at the edges and access is allowed to slot  122  and to the majority of the marker for ease of removal by a thumb or finger. However, for additional retention it may be preferred that overhanging retaining member  120  is formed to substantially overlap the entirety of top surface  124  of body  110  with a niche cutout  126  to provide a region for grasping the marker for removal. 
         [0015]    A biasing member  130  is disposed within body  110  ( FIG. 3 ). Biasing member  130  extends into slot  122  along a slide path generally indicated as arrow A of a marker  128  as it enters slot  122 . In a preferred embodiment, biasing member  130  includes a spring member  132 . A rounded surface, preferably a ball bearing  134  or the like is disposed upon spring  132  so that spring  132  biases the ball bearing through an opening  136  of top surface (slot floor)  124  into the slide path. In this way, marker  128  is biased by ball bearing  134  against retaining member  120  to maintain marker  128  within slot  122  by tension or friction fit. 
         [0016]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 4  in which a marker is shown in use. As is known in the art, golf clubs are made with grips. Each grip includes an opening at the top of the grip. The opening is there to release trapped air during the golf club assembly process. Device  100  is affixed to a golf club  200  at the opening  202  within grip  204 . Anchor  112  is adapted to be inserted into opening  202  of grip  204 . The chamfered surface of tip  118  passes through opening  202  with the application of some, but not excessive pressure on body  110  in the direction of anchor  118 . The tip diameter of tip  118  is smaller at its distal end than opening  202 , but greater than opening  202  at its proximal end, and therefore passes through opening  202  by forcing opening  202  open. Opening  202  recovers to return to a diameter less than the proximal end of tip  118  thereby securing anchor  112  within grip  204  of golf club  200 . 
         [0017]    A marker  122  such as a coin or a custom marker is slid in the direction of arrow A along a slide path into slot  122 . Marker  128  deflects bearing  134  against the bias of spring  132  as marker  122  moves along the slide path. Ball bearing  134  pushes against marker  122  to bias and force marker  122  against retaining member  120  to retain marker  122  within slot  122 . In this manner, marker  128  is secured within body  110 , which now travels with club  200 . Therefore, the marker is always handy and readily accessible to the golfer. 
         [0018]    It should be noted that in this embodiment that biasing member  130  includes a spring and ball bearing construction However, biasing member  130  could be simply a spring  132  with a chamfer around its surface extending through opening  136  or even a chamfered surface within the slide path affixed to floor  124  or formed with floor  124  in which the marker slides over a smooth raised surface at one or more points of contact to pin marker  128  against retaining member  120 . This may take the form of one or more detents or bumps formed along floor  124  along the slide path. 
         [0019]    By making a body member utilizing a slide path with a bias member therein, the entire structure being capable of being anchored to the grip of a golf club, the present inventions provides a structure for maintaining a golf ball marker of almost any common type near play without the need for special marker structure. In this way, if one were to inadvertently lose their marker, the invention is still capable of operating with a coin or any replacement marker capable of fitting within the slot. A universal, simple construction, easy to use and readily available device is thus provided that allows for keeping a golf marker handy without the need for any special structured marker or retrofitting of any golf apparatus or clothing. 
         [0020]    Although exemplary and preferred aspects and embodiments of the present invention have been described with a full set of features, it is to be understood that the disclosed device may be practiced successfully without the incorporation of some of those features. Thus, it must be further understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview of the appended claims and their equivalents.