Putter grip ball marker retention system

A golf ball marker retention system, comprising: a retaining cavity associated with a golf club handle, the retaining cavity having an entry channel that expands as an object is inserted and contracts when the object has been substantially fully inserted within the cavity, the cavity being oriented substantially perpendicular to an elongate axis of the golf club handle; and a ball marker receivable within the cavity, the ball marker being insertable and storable within the retaining cavity and being sized and shaped such that, as the marker is inserted into the cavity through the entry channel, the entry channel first expands and then contracts after the marker has been substantially fully received within the retaining cavity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to accessories used in the sport of golf.

2. Related Art

When playing the sport of golf it is often required that, once a player's ball has landed on the green, the ball be removed by the player prior to his or her completing the hole in order to provide another player a free path to the cup (or simply to allow the player to clean the ball prior to putting). To ensure that the player returns the ball to the same spot it occupied on the green prior to being picked up, a so-called ball marker is placed on or in the green to mark the location of the ball. A variety of different types of ball markers have been developed for this use: with arguably the most popular type comprising a flat, disk-like marker that lies on the top surface of the green (and may include a downwardly extending spike to anchor the marker in the green). Such markers are relatively inexpensive to produce and are produced by the thousands each year.

While many players carry such markers, it is remarkable how often such markers cannot be easily located when a player wishes to mark his or her ball. Due to this difficulty, attempts have been made to provide storage locations for such markers to increase the likelihood that a player can locate a marker when he or she requires one. Such attempts include forming a “snap” retention device in golf gloves to allow a marker to be carried on the glove until needed. Other attempts include forming a cavity in a cap (e.g., hat), with the marker being held within the cavity until it is needed by the golfer.

Such attempts, while somewhat effective, require, of course that the golfer be wearing the glove or cap at the time the marker is needed. If the cap or glove was left in the golf cart, the golfer must retrieve it from the cart in order to use the marker. Such attempts have also resulted in many lost markers due to markers falling from the glove or the cap during regular play; thereby becoming unavailable for use when the golfer desires a marker.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a ball marker retention system for reliably retaining a golf ball marker and providing easy access to the ball marker when it is desired by the player.

The invention provides a golf ball marker retention system, including: a retaining cavity associated with a golf club handle and having an entry channel that expands as an object is inserted and contracts when the object has been fully inserted, and wherein the cavity is perpendicular to the golf club handle; anda ball marker receivable within the cavity, the marker being insertable and storable within the retaining cavity, and configured such that when inserted into the cavity through the entry channel, the entry channel expands and then is allowed to contract after the marker has been fully received within the retaining cavity.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the system includes one or more retaining wings that at least partially define the cavity and that aid in or contribute to retaining the ball marker within the retaining cavity.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the system includes a slidable track; wherein the marker can be inserted into the cavity by sliding the marker through or within the slidable track.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the retaining wings are formed from a resilient material, and wherein:the retaining wings are sufficiently rigid to retain the marker within the cavity, and are sufficiently flexible to facilitate removal of the ball marker from the cavity in a direction other than that provided by the slidable track.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the golf club comprises a putter, and the ball marker retention system is coupled to, attached to, or formed integrally with a grip portion of the putter.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an upper portion of the ball marker is at least partially covered by retaining structure of the system, such that the ball marker is restricted from moving in an upward direction out of the retention system.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the ball marker can be forcibly removed from the retaining cavity past or through the retaining structure of the system that at least partially covers the upper portion of the ball marker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, relative directional terms such as “upward,” “downward,” etc., are to be understood to be relative to the manner in which systems discussed herein are commonly understood to be oriented when in use. For example, with regard to a putter handle, “upwardly” refers to a direction relative to the situation in which the putter is positioned for use, with the grip handle oriented elevationally higher than the putter face of the club (the putter face being immediately adjacent to the upper surface of the putting green).

As used herein, reference to positional relation of a golf club handle relative to the system provided herein is to be understood as if the golf club handle had only a length dimension (extending from the grip to the portion of the club that comes in contact with a golf ball) and no width or depth dimension; such that in cases where the handle is said to be perpendicular to a portion of the system, said portion of the system is understood to extend in the X- and Y-axes while the golf club handle would extend in the Z-axis, much the same way as a pin is perpendicular to the head of the pin.

The present invention provides a golf ball marker retention system for use in storing a golf ball marker used by golfers in marking the location of a golf ball on a putting green. Referring toFIG. 1, the system100generally includes a retaining cavity104that can be formed on, or can be attached to, a golf club handle. A ball marker120can be receivable within the cavity104, the ball marker120being insertable and storable within the retaining cavity104. The ball marker120can be securely stored within the cavity104throughout a round of golf and, when needed, easily removed from the cavity104and used to mark the location of a ball on a green. When the player is finished with the marker120, he or she can easily re-insert the ball marker within the cavity104for storage. As the system can be incorporated into (or attached to) the handle of a putter (seeFIGS. 6-7), each time a player has cause to play on the green (e.g., each time the player and his or her group are putting), which is nearly always done using the putter, the player will have quick and easy access to the ball marker.

The present invention provides a golf ball marker retention system100, comprising a retaining cavity104associated with a golf club handle and having an entry channel106that expands as an object (such as a golf ball marker120) is inserted thereinto and contracts when the object has been fully inserted. The cavity104can be substantially perpendicular to an elongate axis of the golf club handle; and a ball marker120can be receivable within the cavity104. The marker120can be insertable and storable within the retaining cavity104, and configured such that when inserted into the cavity104through the entry channel106, the entry channel106expands and then is allowed to contract after the marker120has been fully received within the retaining cavity104.

The golf ball marker retention system100can further include a slidable track wherein the marker120can be inserted into the cavity104by sliding the marker through or within the slidable track. Associated with this slidable track, the system100can include at least one retaining wing102that at least partially defines the cavity104and that can aid in, or contribute to, retaining the ball marker120within the retaining cavity104. The retaining wings102can be formed of a resilient material such that they are sufficiently rigid to retain the marker120within the cavity104, and are sufficiently flexible to facilitate removal of the ball marker120from the cavity104in a direction other than that provided by the slidable track. In this embodiment, the marker120can be quickly and easily “popped” out of the cavity area104by the player when the marker120is needed. This can simplify the removal process by not requiring that the marker120be slid outward through or past the slide channel. Despite the fact that the retaining wings102are sufficiently pliable so as to be deflectable to allow removal of the marker120, it has been found that the wings102are sufficiently rigid to retain the marker120within the cavity104through normal use of the putter: including removal from and insertion of the handle of the putter into a golf bag, use of the putter for putting, etc. The golf ball marker120can be formed from a variety of materials and can be formed in a variety of shapes and configurations. The marker120can be formed from metallic materials, polymers, wood, composite materials, etc. In embodiments illustrated in the figures, the marker120is formed in a generally ovoid shape, however, it is contemplated that round, square, rectangular shapes, etc., can also be realized. In one aspect of the invention, the golf ball marker retention system100can be formed such that an upper portion of the ball marker120is at least partially covered by the retaining structure102of the system100, such that the ball marker120is restricted from moving in an upward direction out of the retention system100. This feature can be understood to function in a couple of ways. First, the ball marker120can be forcibly removed from the retaining cavity104past or through the retaining structure102of the system that at least partially covers the upper portion of the ball marker. In other words, it can work in connection with the slidable track and wings102, as discussed above, such that a golfer can remove the marker120by pulling vertically on the marker120, thus causing the system100to flex and release the marker120in a vertical direction. Generally, without such force applied by the golfer, the marker120would be restricted from moving in an upward direction out of the retention system100. Alternatively, this feature can be associated with the slidable track and can be independent of the retaining wings102such that the only way to remove the marker is to slide it out horizontally along the track (any vertical removal of the marker being impossible).

The present invention provides three ways of using or incorporating the system with or into a golf club. First, referring toFIG. 7, the retaining cavity302may be formed integrally with a grip of a golf club handle304. This can be done, for example, during manufacture of the golf club300to thereby allow the option of golfers purchasing clubs with the feature “built in.” In another aspect, referring to reference marker200inFIG. 6, the system204can be permanently couplable to a golf club handle206. A golfer could purchase the system provided in this embodiment (along with associated golf ball markers202) and attach it to a golf club handle206of a selected golf club. The golfer could attach or couple the system to the golf club through a variety of means such as, but not limited to, adhesive or screws that could provided with the system when purchased. In another example, referring toFIGS. 3 and 6, the system includes a retaining cavity104or204is removably attached to a golf club handle206. In other words, the retaining cavity104or204formed within an upper portion of a cap100. The cap100can include a cavity110configured to receive an end of a golf club handle206. In this manner, a golfer can selectively attach and remove the system204from the golfer's club(s). It is contemplated that one manner of facilitating this removable attachment is to have a cavity110that fits over the end of the grip of the golf club and is shaped such that there is sufficient friction to hold the system firmly in place on the club without the use of adhesives, screws, nails, etc.

In another embodiment, referring toFIGS. 1-5, the present invention provides a golf ball marker retention system100, comprising a storage cavity104associated with a golf club and defined by walls, a floor, and a ceiling102, wherein the volume of the cavity104is changed as an object is inserted into the cavity104. The cavity104can be substantially perpendicular to an elongate axis of the golf club handle; and a golf ball marker120receivable within the cavity104. The marker120can be insertable and storable within the retaining cavity104, and can be configured to fit within the storage cavity104such that when inserted into the cavity104the volume of the cavity104is changed in response to this insertion. The ceiling102does not have to completely cover the golf ball marker; indeed, advantages are found in not covering it completely, such as allowing a golfer to press their finger on the top of the marker120and slide it out of the cavity104, or to allow a golfer to remove the marker120upward through the ceiling. A further improvement to the invention is to include in the floor of the storage cavity, another cavity108configured to receive a spike122on a golf ball marker120. This cavity108would extend horizontally from the edge of the system100in to a depth slightly greater than the radius of the system100, and would extend vertically from the floor of the storage cavity104downward a sufficient distance to allow for spikes122of various lengths. This embodiment further includes the options discussed above relating to the attachment or use of the device in combination with a golf club.

The present invention further provides a method for retaining a golf ball marker, comprising the steps of: providing a golf club; providing a retaining cavity associated with a handle of the golf club and having an entry channel that expands as an object is inserted and contracts when the object has been fully inserted, and wherein the cavity is substantially perpendicular to an elongate axis of the golf club handle; providing a golf ball marker; and forcibly removably inserting the golf ball marker into the retaining cavity, elastically deforming the entry channel during insertion.

This method further includes steps for combining the retaining cavity with the golf club. One such step is where the retaining cavity is formed integrally with a grip portion of the golf club handle. Another such step is to coupling the retaining cavity to the golf club handle in an instance where the retaining cavity is not formed integrally with the golf club handle. The third step provided is to removably attach the retaining cavity to the golf club handle.

It is contemplated that the following description, along with reference toFIGS. 1-5, provides details and specification for creating the best mode of the current invention. Since many golfers have multiple putters, rather than requiring them to purchase new putters with the current invention formed integrally with the putter or to acquire multiple golf ball marker retention systems100, it is useful to provide the system100in a removably attachable manner. In this way a golfer can purchase one such system100and use it on a number of different clubs.

The system100can be formed from a flexible rubber material. The system100can be designed such that the radius of the system100when viewed from above is about 0.569 inches. Again viewed from above, the radius from the inner edge of a retaining wing102to the center of the system can be a bout 0.445 inches. Regarding the cavity108, for a spike122on the ball marker120, the width of the cavity108at the edge of the system100can be about 0.185 inches at the bottom and about 0.207 inches at the top. The walls of this cavity108slope inwardly towards each other at an angle of approximately 4.0 degrees. Further this cavity108, when viewed from above (FIG. 5) the innermost wall of the cavity108can be defined by a curvature having a radius of about 0.073 inches. The center of this curvature can be the center of the entire system100. The retaining wings102can extend a full semi-circle plus an additional 0.115 inches on each side around the system100exactly on the opposite side that has the opening on the edge for the ball marker spike122.

When viewed from the side (FIGS. 3-4), the height of the system100can be about 1.340 inches from top to bottom. The depth of the cavity104for the marker120can be about 0.060 inches, and the depth of the retaining wings102above said cavity104can likewise be about 0.060 inches. The depth of the cavity108for the marker spike122can be about 0.330 inches as measured from the base of the marker cavity104to the base of the spike cavity108, or about 0.450 inches as measured from the top of the system100to the base of the spike cavity108. The thickness of material between the spike cavity108and the cavity110for receiving a golf club handle can be about 0.080 inches. The height of the system100from the base of the marker cavity104(or the top of the spike cavity108) to the base of the system100can be about 1.220 inches. This cavity110for receiving the golf club handle, the “cap cavity”110is defined by walls that slope inwardly towards each other from the bottom of the system100towards the top. If the marker cavity104is considered to be horizontal or vertically about 0.0 degrees, the walls of the cap cavity110can slope inwardly at about 91.0° with respect to the marker cavity104. The outer edges of the system104taper inwardly from top to bottom such that the radius of the system100at the bottom is about 0.518 inches.