Abstract:
A golf bag includes a housing having a side wall and a bottom wall and a strap receiver attached to the side wall. The strap receiver includes an outer wall connecting opposing receiver side walls, wherein the receiver side walls are attached to the golf bag. The strap receiver further includes first and second open ends formed by the outer wall and the receiver side walls and forming an opening perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the golf bag, wherein the opening is adapted for insertion of a strap therein.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/391,368, filed on Oct. 8, 2010, and entitled “Golf Bag Attachment Mechanism,” the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to golfing, and in particular, to golf bags. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to golf bag attachment mechanisms. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A golf bag, in accordance with the present disclosure, includes a housing provided with a series of openings that are adapted to accept the shafts of golf clubs. The housing includes side walls and a bottom wall. The housing may also include one or more pockets adapted to hold golf accessories. 
         [0004]    In illustrative embodiments, the golf bag is adapted to be secured to a golf car by use of a golf cart strap and includes a side wall having front and rear portions, and a bottom wall that form an interior chamber of the bag. The golf bag includes a first strap receiver having a passageway provided with a first open end and a second open end. The first strap receiver is positioned on the side wall of the golf bag and is configured to accept the golf cart strap. 
         [0005]    The golf bag also includes a second strap receiver having a passageway provided with a first open end and a second open end. The second strap receiver is positioned on the side wall of the golf bag opposite the first strap receiver. The first and second strap receivers are configured to allow the golf cart strap to enter into the passageway of first strap receiver around the rear portion of the side wall to passageway of the second strap receiver. Once the golf car strap is coupled to both strap receivers, the strap can be pulled tight to secure the golf bag to the golf cart. 
         [0006]    In illustrative embodiments, the rear portion of the side wall includes a friction material to reduce movement of the side wall with respect to the golf cart strap. The first and second strap receivers are configured to include an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior surfaces of the first and second strap receivers are formed to include a series of finger grooves that are configured to accept the fingers of the user to allow the first and second strap receivers to be used as handles to permit a user to carry the golf bag. The first and second strap receivers include an outer wall and a pair of side walls that extend outwardly from the outer wall the side walls each include a flange that is configured to be coupled to the side wall of the golf bag by use of fasteners. The first and second strap receivers are over molded with a material to provide a more hand grip type feel. 
         [0007]    Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a golf bag secured to a golf cart by use of a golf cart strap in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the golf bag showing the golf cart strap passing through a first embodiment of a strap receiver and extending around the rear portion of the bag; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a an enlarged perspective view of the golf bag showing a strap receiver and friction material attached to a side wall of the golf bag; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the first embodiment of the strap receiver; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the first embodiment of the strap receiver; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the strap receiver being coupled to the side wall of the golf bag; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are side elevational views of a second embodiment of a strap receiver attached to opposing sides of a golf bag; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a front isometric view of the strap receivers of  FIGS. 7 and 8 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a side isometric view of the strap receivers of  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    A golf bag  10  is shown coupled to a golf cart  13  by use of a golf cart strap  14 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Golf bag  10  includes a housing  16 . Housing  16  of golf bag  10  includes a side wall  18  and bottom wall  20 . Side wall  18  includes a front portion  22  and a rear portion  24 . The golf bag  10  includes a first strap receiver  26  having a passageway  28  provided with a first open end  30  and a second open end  32 . The first strap receiver  26  is positioned on the side wall  18  of the golf bag  10  and is configured to accept the golf cart strap  14 . The passageway  28  of the first strap receiver  26  forms a horizontal passageway to allow for the passage of the golf cart strap  14 . The first strap receiver  26  also functions as a handle to allow a user to carry the golf bag  10 . 
         [0019]    The golf bag  10  also includes a second strap receiver  34  having a passageway  36  provided with a first open end  38  and a second open end  40 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 3 . The second strap receiver  34  is positioned on the side wall  18  of the golf bag  10  opposite the first strap receiver  26 . The first and second strap receivers  26 ,  34  are configured to allow the golf cart strap  14  to enter into the passageway  28  of first strap receiver  26  around the rear portion  24  of the side wall  18  to the passageway  36  of the second strap receiver  34  or into the passageway  36  of the second strap receiver  34  around the rear portion  24  of the side wall  18  to the passageway  28  of the first receiver strap  26 . In both cases, once the golf car strap  14  is positioned within both strap receivers  26 ,  34 , the strap  14  can be pulled tight to secure the golf bag  10  to the golf cart  13 . 
         [0020]    The rear portion  24  of the side wall  18  includes a friction material  42 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 3 . Friction material  42  is configured to reduce movement of the golf cart strap  14  with respect to the side wall  18  so that the golf bag  10  does not move around when secured to the golf cart  13 . The first and second strap receivers  26 ,  34  are configured to include an interior surface  44  and an exterior surface  46 . The interior surfaces  46  of the first and second strap receivers  26 ,  34  are formed to include a series of finger grooves  48  that are configured to accept the fingers of the user to allow the first and second strap receivers  26 ,  34  to be used as handles to permit a user to carry the golf bag  10 . In addition, the strap receivers  26 ,  34  may be utilized as side lifts. 
         [0021]    The first and second strap receivers  26 ,  34  include an outer wall  50  and a pair of side walls  52 ,  54  that extend outwardly from the outer wall  50 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 4-6 . The side walls  52 ,  54  are configured to be coupled to the side wall  18  of the golf bag  10  by use of fasteners  60 . Fasteners  60  extend through side wall  18  of golf bag  10  and are secured to a backing plate  62 . The backing plate  62  is shown in  FIG. 6  as being disposed within an interior of the golf bag  10 , but the backing plate  62  may optionally be disposed within the material forming the golf bag  10  so that the plate  62  is not visible. Backing plate  62  is used to prevent first and second strap receivers  26 ,  34  from pulling out of the side wall  18  of the golf bag  10 . The first and second strap receivers  26 ,  34  are over molded with a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material to provide a grip that is comfortable to the touch. 
         [0022]    A further embodiment of strap receivers  80 ,  82  of the present disclosure are depicted in  FIGS. 7-10 . Each of the receivers  80 ,  82  includes an outer wall  84  and a pair of side walls  86 ,  88  that extend outwardly from the outer wall  84 , as best seen in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . The side walls  86 ,  88  are generally L-shaped with a first wall portion  90 ,  92  disposed at an angle with respect to the outer wall  84  and a second wall portion  96 ,  98  that is disposed at an angle with respect to the first wall portion  90 ,  92  and is generally parallel to the outer wall  84 . The second wall portions  96 ,  98  are configured to couple the receivers  80 ,  82  to a side wall  18  of the golf bag  10  in the same manner as discussed hereinabove. Referring to  FIGS. 7-9 , each the outer walls  84  includes a first side edge  100  that is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis  102  of the receiver  80 ,  82  and a second side edge  104  that is disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis  102 . The strap receivers  80 ,  82  are disposed slightly higher than the golf cart strap  14  and portions of the golf cart to which the strap  14  is attached. The angle formed by the second side edge  104  therefore provides a more secure and untangled connection of the strap  14  to the strap receives  80 ,  82  and allows for ease in tightening the strap  14 . 
         [0023]    Similar to the previous embodiment, and as best seen in  FIG. 9 , a first strap receiver  80  includes a passageway  110  formed by the outer wall  84  and side walls  86 ,  88 , the passageway  110  having a first open end  112  and a second open end  114 . The first strap receiver  80  is positioned on the side wall  18  of the golf bag  10  and is configured to accept the golf cart strap  14 . The passageway  110  of the first strap receiver  80  forms a generally horizontal passageway to allow for passage of the golf cart strap  14 . The first strap receiver  80  also functions as a handle to allow a user to carry the golf bag  10 . 
         [0024]    The second strap receiver  82  includes a passageway  120  with a first open end  122  and a second open end  124 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . The second strap receiver  120  is positioned on the side wall  18  of the golf bag  10  opposite the first strap receiver  82  in the same manner as discussed with respect to the first embodiment. The first and second strap receivers  80 ,  82  are configured to allow the golf cart strap  14  to enter into the passageway  110  of first strap receiver  80  around the rear portion  24  of the side wall  18  of the golf bag  10  to the passageway  120  of the second strap receiver  82  or into the passageway  120  of the second strap receiver  82  around the rear portion  24  of the side wall  18  to the passageway  110  of the first receiver strap  80 . In both cases, once the golf car strap  14  is positioned within both strap receivers  26 ,  34 , the strap  14  can be pulled tight to secure the golf bag  10  to the golf cart  13 . In either case, a friction material may be disposed on the golf bag  10 , as discussed in detail above, to aid in securing and stabilizing the golf bag  10 . Although two strap receivers  80 ,  82  are shown, more than two strap receives  80 ,  82  may be utilized, for example, with a golf bag having a larger diameter or for a more secure connection. 
         [0025]    Various features of the disclosure have been shown and described in connection with the illustrated embodiment, however, it is understood that these arrangements merely illustrate, and that the disclosure is to be given its fullest interpretation. 
         [0026]    Although directional terminology, such as horizontal, front, back, etc. may be used throughout the present specification, it should be understood that such terms are not limiting and are only utilized herein to convey the orientation of different elements with respect to one another.