Aiming device for golf putter

An aiming device for a golf putter comprises a holding member, a main body, a locating member, a laser member, a switch, and a power source. The device is detachably fastened with the shaft or grip of the golf putter by the holding member. The main body is fastened pivotally with the holding member in conjunction with the locating member. The laser member is disposed in the main body and is capable of projecting an aiming line on a projection surface. The laser member is provided with power by the power source which is located in the main body. The laser member is turned on or off by the switch.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates generally to a golf accessory, and more
 particularly to an aiming device for a putter.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,290 discloses a golf putter handle which is
 provided with a laser member, a through hole, and a control button. The
 through hole is provided respectively in the inside thereof and in the
 outside thereof with a reflector under which a round reflector is
 disposed. The handle is provided with a battery. In operation, when the
 control button is pressed, an aiming line is projected on the head such
 that the aiming line is perpendicular to the ball striking surface of the
 head. Such an aiming device as described above must be purchased along
 with a golf putter and is rather expensive.
 The U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,739 discloses a putter which is provided in a head
 thereof with an aiming device capable of emitting an aiming line
 perpendicular to the ball-striking surface. The aiming device is sold
 separately and can be detachably fastened with the putter. The drawback of
 the aiming device is that it is visible to a golfer using the putter. In
 addition, the aiming device gives an added weight to the putter head.
 The U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,440 discloses a putter which is provided in the
 grip thereof with a cavity in which a laser pen is disposed. The putter
 shaft is provided in the bottom end thereof with a reflector capable of
 reflecting light at right angle so as to form an aiming line. The putter
 is expensive.
 The U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,296 discloses a putter head which is provided at
 two ends thereof with a laser member. The two laser members emit two
 aiming lines parallel to each other. The putter is expensive and can not
 be used in a tournament.
 The U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,464,221 and 5,464,222 disclose respectively a putter
 which is provided in the juncture of the head thereof and the shaft
 thereof with a laser member for emitting an aiming line. The putter is not
 cost-effective and is used for practice only. In addition, the aiming line
 emitted by the laser member is fuzzy.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a golf putter
 with an aiming device which can be fastened with the shaft or the grip of
 the golf putter for projecting a clear aiming line on the green.
 It is another objective of the present invention to provide a golf putter
 with an aiming device which is relatively small in size.
 In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing
 objectives of the present invention are attained by an aiming device
 comprising a holding member, a main body, a locating member, a laser
 member, a switch, and a power source. The device is fastened with the
 shaft or grip of a golf putter by the holding member. The main body is
 fastened pivotally with the holding member in conjunction with the
 locating member. The laser member is disposed in the main body and is
 capable of forming an aiming line on a projection surface. The laser
 member is provided with power by the power source which is located in the
 main body. The laser member is turned on or off by the switch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 As shown in FIGS. 1-4, an aiming device embodied in the present invention
 is intended for a golf putter and is essentially composed of a holding
 member 20, a main body 40, a locating member 50, a laser member 60, a
 switch 70, and a power source 90.
 The holding member 20 is detachably fastened with a putter shaft 10 or grip
 15, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIGS. 2, and 5. In the preferred
 embodiment of the present invention, the holding member 20 is fastened
 with a portion contiguous to the putter shaft 10 and the putter grip 15,
 as shown in FIG. 5. The holding member 20 is located by a retaining member
 30. The holding member 20 is provided with a pivoting column 27.
 The main body 40 is fastened pivotally with the pivoting column 27 such
 that the main body 40 is capable of turning on pivoting column 27.
 The locating member 50 is used to locate securely the main body 40 on the
 pivoting column 27.
 The laser member 60 is disposed in the main body 40 for emitting an aiming
 line 100 on a projection surface, as shown is FIGS. 13 and 14.
 The switch 70 is fastened with the main body 40 for turning the laser
 member 60 on or off. A press button 80 is fastened with the main body 40
 for starting the laser member 60.
 The power source 90 is located in the main body 40 for providing the laser
 member 60 with power.
 As shown is FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 9, the holding member 20 is provided with an
 axial hole 21 extending along the direction of a longitudinal axis of the
 holding member 20 and having a C-shaped cross section, a small diametric
 end 22, and a large diametric end 23. Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the
 small diametric end 22 is provided in the middle thereof with two cuts 24,
 each being provided in the top thereof and the bottom thereof with a
 holding portion 25 (26) for embracing the shaft 10 or grip 15.
 As shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 9, the large diametric end 23 of the holding
 member 20 is provided in the center of the C-shaped wall thereof with a
 U-shaped slot 231 which is in turn provided with a pliable portion 232.
 The pliable portion 232 has a free end extending forward the small
 diametric end 22. The free end is provided in the bottom thereof with a
 retaining projection 233. The large diametric end 23 is provided in both
 sides of the C-shaped wall thereof with a recess 234. The retaining member
 30 has a C-shaped cross section for embracing securely the large diametric
 end 23 of the holding member 20. The retaining member 30 is provided with
 two arms 31 corresponding in location to the two recesses 234. The arms 31
 are movably located in the recesses 234 such that the arms 31 are capable
 of sliding along the recesses 234. The retaining member 30 is further
 provided with a wedge-shaped protrusion 32, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.
 The wedge-shaped protrusion 32 is corresponding in location to the pliable
 portion 232. The retaining member 30 is further provided with two grooves
 33 corresponding in location to the two arms 31, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4,
 and 7. Now referring to FIG. 9, when the holding member 20 is secured to a
 golf putter, the retaining member 30 is located at an inner check point
 nearest the main body 40 such that the wedge-shaped protrusion 32 of the
 retaining member 30 does not urge the pliable portion 232 of the holding
 member 20. The user's thumb or index finger is retained in the groove 33,
 as shown in FIG. 10, such that the retaining member 30 is moved toward the
 right side of the drawing to locate to the outermost outer check point. As
 a result, the pliable portion 232 of the holding member 20 is urged by the
 wedge-shaped protrusion 32 of the retaining member 30 to curve so as to
 press against the grip 15. The holding member 20 is thus securely held on
 the grip 15.
 As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8, the pivoting column 27 of the holding member
 20 is provided with outer threads 271, an arcuate top 272, and a pillar
 273 which is provided in the center thereof with a through hole 274. The
 locating member 50 is provided with a threaded hole 51 which is engaged
 with the outer threads 271 of the pivoting column 27 of the holding member
 20, as shown in FIG. 8. The locating member 50 is provided with an arcuate
 recess 52. The main body 40 is formed of an upper shell 41 and a lower
 shell 42, which are fastened together by two fastening bolts 43, as shown
 in FIG. 5. Now referring to FIG. 8, the lower shell 42 is provided in the
 right side thereof with a cavity 421 which is provided in the center of
 the bottom wall thereof with a through hole 422 and a shoulder 423
 surrounding the through hole 422. Located over the shoulder 423 is a slot
 424. The upper shell 41 is provided in the right side thereof with a
 columnar body 411 which is inserted at the bottom end thereof into the
 slot 424 and is provided at the center of the underside thereof with an
 axial hole 412 in which the fastening bolt 43 is received via the cavity
 421 and the through hole 422, so as to fasten the upper shell 41 and the
 lower shell 42 together. The lower shell 42 is provided at the bottom
 thereof with an arcuate receiving portion 425 which is in turn provided at
 the center thereof with a through hole 426. The receiving portion 425 is
 provided in the outer wall thereof with an arcuate recess 427, and in the
 inner wall thereof with an arcuate protrusion 428. The pillar 273 of the
 pivoting column 27 is put through the through hole 426 of the lower shell
 42 such that the arcuate recess 427 is in contact with the arcuate top
 272. A locking member 44 is provided with a threaded hole 441 and an
 arcuate recess 442 in contact with the arcuate protrusion 428 of the lower
 shell 42. The main body 40 is fastened pivotally with the pivoting column
 27 by a fastening bolt 45 which is engaged with the threaded hole 441 of
 the locking member 44 via the through hole 274. The through hole 426 of
 the main body 40 is greater in the outer diameter than the pillar 273. The
 main body 40 is capable of turning on the pillar 273 for 360 degrees. In
 light of the arcuate top 272, the arcuate recess 427, the arcuate
 protrusion 428, and the arcuate recess 442 being equal to one another in
 curvature radius, the main body 40 can be obliquely adjusted up and down.
 After the angular adjustment of the main body 40, the locating member 50
 is rotated upwardly such that the arcuate recess 52 urges the lower shell
 42 of the main body 40.
 As shown is FIGS. 6 and 8, the laser member 60 is disposed in the slot 413
 of the upper shell 41 and the slot 429 of the lower shell 42. The laser
 member 60 is provided with a mirror for projecting a straight aiming line
 100 toward a projection surface, which is the golf green. This is a prior
 art technique and is not the subject matter of the present invention. Now
 referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, the main body 40 is further provided with
 a circuit board 46, which is connected with the circuit of the laser
 member 60, the switch 70, and the press button 80. The power source 90
 comprises a battery case 91, and two mercury batteries 92 which are held
 in the battery case 91. The battery case 91 is received in the receiving
 slot 401 of the main body 40, as shown in FIG. 3. The mercury batteries 92
 are partially jutted out of the battery case 91 so as to facilitate the
 connection of the mercury batteries 92 with two conductive pieces 461 of
 the circuit board 46. The battery case 91 can be taken out by a clamp 95
 for replacing the old batteries with new ones, as illustrated in FIG. 12.
 The receiving slot 401 of the main body 40 is provided in two sides
 thereof with a depression 402. The battery case 91 is provided in two
 sides thereof with a slot 911. The clamp 95 has two parallel support arms
 951 which are inserted into the two depressions 402 of the main body 40.
 The clamp 95 is provided with an inverted hook 952 for catching the two
 slots 911 to facilitate the removing of the battery case 91.
 As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the holding member 20 of the present invention
 embraces securely the juncture of the shaft 10 and the grip 15. The
 holding member 20 is reinforced by the retaining member 30. As soon as the
 switch 70 is turned on, an aiming line 100 is projected by the laser
 member 60 on the green. By loosening the locating member 50, the main body
 40 can be adjusted in angle so as to enable the aiming line 100 to be
 projected on a ball-hitting point indicator 18 of the top 17 of the putter
 head 16. When the ball-hitting point indicator 18 is located on the aiming
 line 100, the aiming line 100 is perpendicular to the ball-striking face
 19 of the putter head 16. Upon completion of the adjustment described
 above, the locating member 50 is tightened again. The putter 10 is ready
 for use and the aiming line 100 is activated. When the switch 70 is turned
 off, the aiming line 100 can be activated by pressing the touch control
 press button 80. The aiming line 100 can be automatically regulated by a
 delay circuit which is added to the circuit board 46.
 The aiming device of the present invention is mounted on the juncture of
 the shaft and the grip of a golf putter. As a result, the aiming device of
 the present invention is out of the sight of user of the golf putter, who
 can see only the putter head 16, the ball 110, and the hole 120. In other
 words, the user of the golf putter is not distracted or obstructed by the
 aiming device. The device of the present invention is relatively small in
 size and can be thus kept in the pocket or golf bag.