DUAL STRAP CARRIER DEVICE FOR GOLF BAGS

Abstract: A dual shoulder strap assembly can either be retrofit or provided as original equipment for a golf bag having first and second strap members (750, 751) connected in end-to-end relation to one another along one side of the golf bag, a handle grip (740) interconnecting adjoining ends of the strap members, and circumferential straps (760, 780) serve to connect opposite extreme ends of the first and second strap members to the golf bag in such a way as to maintain the bag in centered relation against the back of the carrier when the straps are passed over the shoulders. The upper and lower extreme ends (752) of the strap members are self-adjusting circumferentially, and the adjoining ends between the strap members (754, 755) are interconnected in such a way as to maintain the strap members in an elevated position so that the bag can be easily lifted off the ground and more easily placed on the shoulders of the carrier.

Description: DUAL STRAP CARRIER DEVICE FOR GOLF BAGS Specification This invention relates to a novel and improved dual strap golf bag carrier device. Background and Field of Invention The present invention concerns those persons who walk a golf course and carry their own golf bag. The entire weight of the golf clubs and bag, which may typi¬ cally be on the order of twenty to twenty-eight pounds, tires the shoulder of the carrier and causes muscular strain resulting from the imbalanced nature of this method of carriage. Despite the long-felt need for a better carrying system for golf bags, there has been virtually no development of alternates to the above-described struc- ture. There is such a need for a carrying device that can be manufactured either as original equipment on a golf bag or can be retrofitted onto other golf bags of standard manufacture. There is a further need for such a device that is simple to use and enhances the game of golf for those who normally carry their golf bags. Summary of the Invention It is therefore an object of the present inven¬ tion to provide a new and useful golf bag carrying device which may be employed by persons who carry golf bags during a round of golf and which may be employed as a retrofit system for standard bags or may be incorporated into the golf bag when it is originally produced. A further object of the present invention is to provide a dual shoulder strap device to allow a golf bag to be carried in a centered manner on the back of a human carrier, and further wherein the weight of a golf bag may be simultaneously supported by both shoulders of the golf bag carrier; or, in the alternative, may be carried by a single strap on one shoulder, if desired, in the tradi¬ tional manner. Yet another object is to provide a dual strap carrier for golf bags that facilitates lifting the bag from the ground and is adjustable in length and in circum¬ ferential points of suspension to accommodate different physiques. In accordance with the present invention, a dual strap carrier device has been devised that either may be manufactured as a part of a golf bag, as original equip¬ ment, or as a retrofit system attachable to a standard golf bag in place of the standard single strap. The strap assembly is disposed externally of the sidewall of the bag and includes first and second strap members, each of the strap members having opposite ends, first and second securing means for securing each of the opposite ends of the first strap member to axially spaced locations on the sidewall including a first location proximate the open end and a second location axially spaced from the first loca- tion whereby the first strap member defines a first strap opening through which one arm of the person can be inserted, and third and fourth securing means for securing each of the opposite ends of the second strap member to axially spaced locations on the sidewall whereby to define a second strap opening so located with respect to the first strap opening that another arm of the person can be inserted through the second strap opening and the golf bag supported on both shoulders of the person carrying the golf bag. Preferably, one end of the first strap member is fastened together with one end of the second strap member to a common central mounting element or handle portion which is affixed to the sidewall of the bag. Although the strap members are flexible, the additional thickness at their connected ends will stiffen the strap members at that location so as to elevate the strap members when the golf bag is resting on the ground to facilitate lifting as well as insertion of the arms through the strap openings. The connected ends of the first and second strap members may include a mounting ring and a flexible mounting web which is adjustably wrapped around the handle to attach the connected ends thereto. Thus the handle defines the second location for attachment of the strap assembly to the golf bag and defines the primary balance point for carrying the bag. Opposite ends of the strap member to the connected end each may include releasable mounting means, such as, a swivel clip or adjustable mounting web for releasable attachment to the sidewall or to a circumferential strap on the sidewall so as to be free to slide circumferentially or be releasably fixed in different selected circumferential positions; and further may include means for adjusting the respective effective lengths of the first and second strap members. Each of the strap members is preferably of curvilinear con¬ figuration for greater comfort and to facilitate posi- tioning of the straps on the golfer's shoulders. Furthermore, the golf bag may be provided with a concave portion formed in the sidewall and circumferentially off¬ set from the attachment axis approximately 90° to rest against the back of a person when the golf bag is in a fully supported position. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of golf bag strap assembly in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of another preferred form of strap assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken about lines 3-3 of Figure 2; _ Figure 4 is a top plan view illustrating the strap members of the preferred form of strap assembly of Figures 1 and 2 when disconnected from the bag and in a flattened condition; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken about lines 5-5 of Figure 4; Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in more detail of the interconnection of the strap members of the preferred form of Figures 2 to 5 to the handle portion; Figure 7 is a side view in elevation of the strap assembly of the present invention constructed as a retrofit attachment to a standard golf bag; Figure 8 is another side view in elevation of a modified form of retrofit attachment of the strap assembly of the present invention to a standard golf bag; and Figure 9 is a side view in elevation of a modified form of golf bag with a concave sidewall portion. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment A preferred embodiment of a golf bag especially constructed to implement the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 6. Here, golf bag 712 includes an elongated enclosure in the form of a cylindrical shell 736 covered by a suitable cloth or vinyl covering 738. The golf bag 712 has an open end 722 for lengthwise insertion of golf clubs, and auxiliary compartments on the exterior of the covering 738 include a clothes compartment 732 for larger articles and a ball pocket 734. A handle 740 is attached to an upper portion of the shell 736 by suitable rivets 735 passing through upper and lower ends of the handle 740, the handle extending in a direction lengthwise of the bag. In order to accom¬ modate the dual strap carrying assembly of the present invention, the bag 712 is provided with first and second anchor straps 760 and 780. As seen from Figures 1 to 3, the strap 760 extends circumferentially beneath the covering 738 proximate the open end 722, and a loop por¬ tion 760* extends outwardly from attachment to the strap 760 between slits 772 and 774 in the cover 738. The loop 760' is oversized with respect to the circumference of the shell so as to be loosely disposed in outer spaced rela¬ tion to the shell in the region between the slits 772 and 774. The slit 774 is formed in the cover 738 at a loca¬ tion spaced lengthwise from and above the handle 740 while the slit 772 is circumferentially spaced approximately 60° away from the slit 774 and correspondingly displaced from the handle 740. The lower anchor strap 780 correspondingly extends circumferentially underneath the cover 738 below the handle 740 and around the midportion of the bag with a loop portion 760' of the strap 780 exposed between slits 782 and 784. The slits 782 and 784 are aligned with the slits 772 and 774, and the anchor strap 780 is spaced beneath the handle 740 a distance substantially corresponding to the spacing of the strap 760 above the handle. It will be noted that each of the slits 772, 774 and 782, 784 is of a length greater than the width of a respective strap 760, 780 and loop 780, 780* to permit longitudinal shifting of the straps and loops. Most desirably, the straps 760, 780 and associated loops 760', 780* are longitudinally adjustable to modify their spacing with respect to the handle 740 by fastener strips 761 and which are affixed to the shell 736 and the inside of the covering 738 at the entrance to each of the slits 772, 774 and 782, 784. In the following, the attachment mechanism will be described at the entrance to one of the slits 772, it being understood that there is a corresponding attach¬ ment mechanism for each of the other slits 774, 782 and 784. Thus, at the entrance to the slit 772, elongated fastener strips 761 and 761' extend in a lengthwise direc¬ tion with respect to the bag and in face-to-face relation to one another directly inside of the entrance to the slit 772 with the strip 761 attached to the shell 736 and the strip 761' attached to the inside of the covering 738. The strap 760 includes a complementary fastener strip on its inner surface for releasable attachment to the strip 761 on the shell 736, and the loop 760' includes a fastener strip for releasable attachment to the strip 761* on the inside of the covering 738. Preferably, the fastener strips 761, 761" are composed of a filamentary material, such as, VELCRO having complementary hook and loop surfaces so that the golfer may easily adjust the spacing of each strap 760 and loop 760* by reaching in with the fingers and manually adjusting the position of the complementary fastener strips with respect to the sta¬ tionary fastener strips 761 and 761'. In this relation, it will be noted that opposite ends of each loop portion 760' and 780* are permanently affixed, such as, by sewing to their respective anchor straps 760 and 780 at locations 762 and 782, respectively, inwardly and beyond the loca¬ tion of the fastener strips at the entrance to each of the slits. A preferred form of shoulder strap assembly is made up of upper and lower interconnected shoulder strap portions 750 and 751, respectively, the upper shoulder strap 750 provided with a mounting ring 770 which is sli- dable on the anchor strap 760 and receives a looped end portion in the form of webbing 752 at the upper end of the strap 750. Another mounting ring 790 receives a looped end portion in the form of webbing 758 at the lower end of the shoulder strap 751, and the ring 790 is slidable on the lower anchor strap 780. Each of the end portions 752 and 758 is length-adjustable by suitable means, such as, adjustable buckles 753 and 759, respectively. The shoulder straps 750 and 751 have adjoining ends 754 which are interconnected to one another by seaming together as at 755 so as to form a common loop portion 756 therebetween for insertion of a mounting ring 720. A VELCRO loop 721 is passed through the mounting ring 720 and is wrapped in surrounding relation to the handle 740. An elongated fastener strip 741 is disposed along the inner surface of the handle 740 and is of a VELCRO material complementary to the filamentary material disposed along the inner surface of the loop 721. Preferably, the loop 721 comprises an elongated flexible strip of material which can be wrapped into the form of a band or ring interconnecting the mounting ring 720 to the handle 740 and is of course longitudinally adjustable by manipulating the disposition of the loop 721 along the length of the fastener strip 741, as best seen from Figures 4 to 6. As further illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the shoulder straps 750 and 751 each include an elongated padded section 728 having spaced, substantially parallel seams 729 extending the length of the padded sections and terminating at the juncture of the end portions 752 and 754 with the ends of the padded sections 728 and at which point the end portions 752 and 754 are securely attached by sewing to the ends of the padded sections as designated at 758 and 759, respectively. A unique feature of the shoulder straps is that each of the flexible padded sec¬ tions 728 is of curvilinear configuration or, in other words, the central axis of each padded section extends along a gradual curve in the plane of each section 728. Thus, as illustrated in Figure 4, the shoulder straps, when laid out in a flattened condition unattached to the bag will diverge away from their common connection 755 to the mounting ring 720. The curvilinear configuration of the straps has been found to better conform to the shoulders when attached to the bag and placed in carrying position as previously described. One of the padded sections 728 may include an outer covering that is relatively slick and will readily slide on a person's clothing while the other padded section 728 has an outer covering that will tend more to resist slippage. As a result, that padded section 728 which tends more to resist slippage will be employed as the upper strap member and more easily retained on the shoulder owing to the friction between the padded section and the clothing. The other more slippery padded section 728 will more readily slide onto and off the other shoulder so as to make it easier to slip the bag on and off the second shoulder. Preferably, the end portions 752 and 754 are correspondingly formed of a flexible but high strength webbing material. However, by joining together over a relatively broad seam area as represented at 755, an addi¬ tional degree of stiffness is lent to the adjoining ends, of the portions 754 at their attachment above the handle 740 so that the end portion 754 will tend to extend in an upward direction away from and be elevated above the handle when the bag is placed on the ground. This will enable the golfer to more easily grasp the upper strap portion when the bag is picked up and replaced on the shoulders. Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, another important feature of the shoulder strap assembly is the placement of the loops 760 and 780 with respect to the handle portion 740. Accordingly, for a righthanded golfer who will tend to carry the upper strap 750 on the right shoulder and the lower strap 751 on the left shoulder it is desirable that the mounting rings 770 and 790 be movable between a position at or adjacent to the slits 774 and 784 in substantial axial alignment above and below the handle portion 740; yet the mounting rings 770 and 790 will be free to slide in a clockwise direction away from the handles 740 toward the slits 772 and 782 so that the suspension points are free to shift and remain centered above the weight of the bag and in this way permit the bag to more closely ride against the body. At the same time, the curvilinear shoulder straps will when placed on the shoulders lay flat against the shoulders and relatively near the neck so as not to tend to slip off. Moreover, the lower ends of the straps will tend to lay flush against the sides of the carrier beneath the armpits and minimize any tendency to slide along or chafe the body of the carrier. Figure 7 illustrates a retrofit attachment of a dual strap carrier, such as, the strap members 750 and 751 of Figures 1 to 6, to a standard golf bag designated at 812. A short strip of webbing is formed into the shape of a loop 820 and fixed by a rivet 842 at or near the open end 822 of the golf bag 812, in accordance with conven¬ tional practice. A metallic mounting ring 770 is attached to the loop 820, and a swivel clip 823 at the end of a first strap member, not shown, is attached to the ring 770. A standard handle 840 is provided on the bag 812 in longitudinally spaced relation to the loop 820. A longi¬ tudinal rib 860 provided with a plurality of longitudi- nally spaced openings 862 is permanently affixed by suitable means to the external sidewall of the golf bag and is spaced beneath the handle 840. A swivel clip 813 is releasably inserted through one of the openings 862 for adjustable attachment of a lower end of the second strap member, not shown, in a desired spaced relationship to the handle 840. When a strap assembly of the type illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 is utilized, the swivel clips 823 and 813 serve to attach the ends of the strap members 750 and 751, respectively, and the mounting ring 720 secures the inter¬ mediate ends 754 of the strap assembly to the handle 840 by means of a loop 721. In order to resist upward sliding movement of the strap assembly, a cord 880 has a clip 882 at one end for attachment to the mounting ring 720, and a suitable clip 883 at its opposite end is provided for con¬ nection to one of the selected openings 862. In this manner, the effective distance or spacing between attach¬ ment points of the second strap member 751, once established by attachment of the swivel clip 813 to one of the openings 862, will be fixed or limited by the cord 880. Figure 8 illustrates another retrofit attachment of a dual strap assembly, such as, that illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, to a standard golf bag designated at 812* and which comprises a loop-shaped connector 820 at its upper end corresponding to that illustrated in Figure 7 and a second or lower connector 820' also corresponding to the upper connector 820 of Figure 7. In this form, mounting rings 770 and 790 corresponding to those illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 serve as a means of attach¬ ment of swivel clips 823 and 813, respectively, at the extreme opposite ends of the strap assembly which, although not shown, may correspond to the strap assembly consisting of the strap members 750 and 751 of Figures 1 to 6. Again, the intermediate connecting end 754 of the strap assembly is attached by a mounting ring 720 and con¬ necting web 721 to the handle 840. From the foregoing, it will be evident that the only modification required to the standard golf bag construction 812 and 812' as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is the addition either of a rib member 860 illustrated in Figure 7 or a loop-shaped connector as illustrated at 820* in Figure 8. Of course, other types of connectors may be utilized depending upon the type of golf bag. For example, the circumferential strap-type connectors as described in Figures 1 to 6 may be placed in surrounding relation to certain standard golf bag constructions to serve as an appropriate retrofit attachment in combination with the standard handle; or the circumferential strap- type connection may be utilized only for the lowermost point of attachment of the second strap member of the bag in combination with the standard handle and standard mounting ring 820 at the upper end of the bag. In the embodiment of invention shown in Figure 9, an alternate form of golf bag 712 includes a cylindri¬ cal shell 736 having an outer flexible covering material, such as, cloth or vinyl as designated at 738 and, in a conventional manner, the outer covering may include an accessory compartment 732 with a longitudinally extending zipper 733. A handle 740 is secured to a midsection of the golf bag and preferably to the spine 737, and the shell 736 is formed with a depression or concavity 750 circum- ferentially offset approximately 90° from the handle 740. The concave section 750 is sized and positioned to bear against the lower back of a person carrying the bag 712 so that the bag 712 will rest closer against the back and the weight of the bag and clubs is positioned more directly over the hips with any weight or downward force being located more directly beneath the shoulders. In a manner corresponding to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, first and second circumferen¬ tial straps 760 and 780 are mounted on the bag above and below the handle in order to receive the upper and lower ends of the dual strap carrier of the present invention. Thus, the strap 760 extends circumferentially around the bag beneath the cover 738 and adjacent to upper open end 722 of the bag. The strap 760 is exposed between the slits 772 and 774 in the cover 738 and a mounting ring 770 is provided on the exposed portion of the strap 760 to receive the upper end of the strap 750 as shown in Figure 1. Similarly, the lower strap 780 is exposed between the slit 782 and 784 in the cover, and a mounting ring 790 receives the lower end of the strap portion 751 in the manner illustrated in Figure 1. In the alternative, a releasable fixed connection may be established between the strap ends 752 and the loops 760' and 780' so that each strap end may be circumferentially adjusted to a par- ticular location on the loop 760' or 780' for optimum com¬ fort to the individual wearer. For example, this can be accomplished by utilization of a VELCRO loop 721 as illustrated in Figure 4 extending from each strap end 752 and placing the complementary VELCRO strip on the inner surface of each loop 760* and 780*. The loop member 721 may then be passed around the loop 760' or 780' in the same manner as illustrated between the VELCRO loop 721 and handle 740 as illustrated in Figure 5 and manipulated to a particular circumferential position by adjusting the VELCRO surfaces with respect to one another. Of course, other means of releasable attachment may be utilized in order to achieve the desired circumferential positioning or connection between the strap ends and the loop portions 760' and 780'. It is therefore to be understood that while alternate and preferred forms of the present invention have been herein set forth and described, various other modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and reasonable equivalents thereof.

Claims: I claim : 1. In a golf bag to be carried by a person, said golf bag having an elongated enclosure including a surrounding sidewall, a closed end and an open end whereby golf clubs may be inserted lengthwise into said golf bag through the open end, the improvement comprising: a shoulder strap assembly disposed exter¬ nally of said sidewall including first and second strap members, each of said strap members having opposite ends; first and second securing means for securing each of said opposite ends of said first strap member to axially spaced locations on said sidewall including a first location proximate said open end and a second loca¬ tion axially spaced from said first location whereby said first strap member defines a first strap opening through which one arm of the person can be inserted; and third and fourth securing means for securing each of said opposite ends of said second strap member to axially spaced locations on said sidewall to define a second strap opening so located with respect to said first strap opening that another arm of the person can be inserted through said second strap opening whereby said golf bag can be selectively supported on one shoulder by said first strap member to incline downwardly across the back of the person carrying said golf bag and can be selectively supported on both shoulders by said first and second strap members with said golf bag extending trans¬ versely across the back of the person carrying said golf bag. 2. In a golf bag according to claim 1, said third securing means securing one of said opposite ends of said second strap member to a location proximate to said second location, and said fourth securing means securing the other of said opposite ends of said second strap member to a third location spaced below said third securing means on said sidewall. 3. In a golf bag according to claim 2, said first and fourth securing means each including a circum¬ ferentially extending loop portion spaced radially out¬ wardly of said sidewall, and slidable mounting means slidably connecting each of said first and second strap members to a respective one of said loop portions whereby said first and second strap members are slidable circum¬ ferentially along said loop portions. 4. In a golf bag according to claim 3, each of said loop portions including means adjustably attaching opposite ends of said loop portions to said sidewall whereby to adjust the axial spacing between said first and fourth locations and said second and third locations. 5. In a golf bag according to claim 4, said sidewall including an inner substantially rigid shell and an outer flexible covering in surrounding relation to said shell, said opposite ends of each of said loop portions extending through circumferentially spaced openings in said covering, and each of said first and fourth securing means including a circumferential strap between said covering and said shell with said opposite ends of said loop portions connected to a respective one of said cir- cumferential straps. 6. In a golf bag according to claim 3, each of said loop portions having one end in axial alignment with said second location and the other of said opposite ends of said loop portions circumferentially offset in the same direction away from said one end. 7. In a golf bag according to claim 1, each of said first and second strap members being of curvilinear configuration in the plane of each of said respective strap members. 8. In a golf bag according to claim 1, said second and third securing means including a common handle attached to said sidewall and adjustable connecting means for adjustably connecting said first and second strap mem¬ bers to said handle, and said first and second strap mem¬ bers including stiffening means between said second and third securing means .to maintain said strap members in a position to facilitate placement on the shoulders of a person carrying said golf bag. 9. In a golf bag according to claim 1, said sidewall including an inner substantially rigid shell and an outer flexible covering in surrounding relation to said shell, said shell being of generally cylindrical con¬ figuration and provided with a concave area circumferen¬ tially offset from said strap members whereby when said golf bag is supported on one or both shoulders said con¬ cave area is in engagement with the back of the person carrying said golf bag. 10. In a golf bag according to claim 1, each said first and second strap members having shoulder- engaging padded sections, a padded section of said first strap member having greater slip resistance than the padded section of said second strap member whereby said first strap member will less readily slide on and off the one shoulder than the second strap member with respect to the other shoulder. 11. In a golf bag to be carried by a person, said golf bag having an elongated enclosure including a surrounding sidewall, a closed end and an open end whereby golf clubs may be inserted lengthwise into said golf bag through the open end, the improvement comprising: a strap assembly disposed externally of said sidewall including first and second strap members, each of said strap members having opposite ends; a handle attached to said sidewall; first and second securing means for securing each of said opposite ends of said first strap member to axially spaced locations on said sidewall including a first location proximate said open end and a second loca¬ tion at said handle whereby said first strap member defi- nes a first strap opening through which one arm of the person can be inserted; and third and fourth securing means for securing each of said opposite ends of said second strap member to axially spaced locations including the second location at said handle and a third location below said handle whereby to define a second strap opening so located with respect to said first strap opening that another arm of the person can be inserted through said second strap opening and said golf bag supported on both shoulders of the person carrying said golf bag. 12. In a golf bag according to claim 11, said first and fourth securing means each including a circum¬ ferentially extending loop portion secured to said sidewall, and mounting means connecting each of said first and second strap members to a respective one of said loop portions whereby said first and second strap members are movable circumferentially along said loop portions, and means for releasably fixing each of said strap members with respect to said loop portions at selected circum- ferential locations along said loop portions. 13. In a golf bag according to claim 12, said sidewall including an inner substantially rigid shell and an outer flexible covering in surrounding relation to said shell, said opposite ends of each of said loop portions extending through circumferentially spaced openings in said covering, and each of said first and fourth securing means including a circumferentially extending strap bet¬ ween said covering and said shell with said opposite ends of said loop portions connected to a respective one of said circumferential straps. 14. In a golf bag according to claim 11, including a flexible loop member adjustably intercon¬ necting said second and third securing means to said handle. 15. In a golf bag according to claim 14, said second and third securing means including stiffening means joining proximate ends of said first and second strap mem¬ bers together, and means interconnecting said stiffening means to said flexible loop member. 16. In a golf bag according to claim 15, each of said first and second strap members having a flexible webbing strip at said proximate ends thereof, said stif¬ fening means maintaining said proximate ends in an ele- vated position when said golf bag is on the ground whereby to enable the person carrying the golf bag to grasp said first strap member and to pass the arms through said strap openings. 17. In a golf bag according to claim 11, each of said first, second, third and fourth securing means including means for releasably attaching said opposite ends of said first and second strap members to said first, second and third locations, respectively. 18. In a golf bag according to claim 11, said first and second strap members slidably secured at said second location to said handle, said fourth securing means including an elongated rib attached to said sidewall having axially spaced openings therein, and a cord member releasably connected at one end to one of said axially spaced openings in said rib and at an opposite end to said second location.

Inventors: IZZO THEODORE-JAMES, IZZO, THEODORE-JAMES
Applicants: IZZO THEODORE J, IZZO, THEODORE-JAMES
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A45F3
IPC codes: A45C13, A45F3, A63B55