Abstract:
The present invention provides a golf practice cage with a central location. The central location is designed to collect golf balls and may comprise a bucket or bag. The golf practice cage comprises a frame with an enclosure substantially surrounding the frame. The enclosure has a back portion with a fold extending in front of the back portion to form a pocket to catch golf balls and funnel them towards the central location. Alternatively to the fold, a base net may reside within an area defined by the frame and the enclosure. The base net funnels caught balls to the central location.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to practice cages and, more particularly, to a golf practice cage with a golf ball gathering central location.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In many sports it is desirable to repeatedly practice a physical motion. In the sport of golf, practicing the physical motion of swinging a golf club and striking a golf ball allows one to become a successful golfer. In particular, the ability to consistently repeat a golf swing, so as to obtain a consistent flight of a golf ball, is important to becoming a successful golfer.  
         [0003]     In the sport of golf there are many ways to in which practice the art of striking a golf ball. A method most similar to actually playing golf on a golf course is to hit or drive standard or regulation golf balls at a driving range. However, practice-driving ranges are often inconveniently located, require a large plot of land, and they are expensive. Alternative to the use of a driving range, one can use standard golf balls to practice in the backyard of a home, in a vacant lot, or in an open field. However, practicing a full golf swing in this type of a geographic area leaves much to be desired. Often a back yard is not large enough to enable a golfer to use long distance golf clubs, and vacant lots or fields are often not readily available. Further, unless a golf swing is somewhat consistent, retrieving standard golf balls can be a tedious and time-consuming activity.  
         [0004]     Alternative to ranges and vacant lots, many golfers practice their swings by hitting golf balls into nets. Conventional nets are far from satisfactory however. For example, most practice nets simply provide a cage or enclosed area in which a golfer can hit a golf ball. The golf balls, however, are free to land and/or roll making retrieval difficult. Golf practice nets of this type include U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,219, issued to Tillery, titled GOLF PRACTICE CAGE, incorporated herein by reference. To assist retrieval of golf balls, some practice nets are equipped with complicated and expensive electronic ball retrieving systems. Golf nets of this type include U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,555, issued to Lay, titled AUTOMATIC TEEING DEVICE AND CAGE FOR CATCHING GOLF BALLS HIT TOWARD THE CAGE, incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0005]     Thus, it is desirable to provide an golf practice net or cage that corrals hit golf balls into a central location.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     To attain the advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a golf practice cage is provided. The golf practice cage includes a frame and enclosure that defines an area. A net or fold in on the backside of the cage funnels balls to a central location.  
         [0007]     The present invention also provides a golf practice cage with a frame and enclosure that defines an area. A base net funnels balls to a central location.  
         [0008]     The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a golf practice cage illustrative of an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a back elevation view of the cage of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the cage of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a detailed view of the ball catch of  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a golf practice cage illustrative of another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     The present invention will be described with respect to  FIGS. 1-5 . While the present invention will be described with reference to a particular golf practice cage, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize on reading the disclosure that other style cages are possible. For example, instead of the dome shaped cage formed by crossed arcuate poles, square cages, triangular cages, or the like are possible.  
         [0016]     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a practice golf cage  10  is illustrated. Practice golf cage  10  is defined by frame  12 . In this example, frame  12  comprises a pair of crossed arcuate poles  14  and  16  defining an area A. Pole  14  has a front end  18  and a rear end  20 . Pole  16  has a front end  22  and a rear end  24 . Instead of a solid pole, poles  14  and  16  could have front and rear portions connecting at a connector  26  located towards the apex of the frame.  
         [0017]     As can be appreciated, frame  12  is a lightweight, easily manufactured, and easily fabricated frame, such as, for example, fiberglass poles. Other styles of frames could be used, such a conventional tubular frame having rectangular sidewalls and a rectangular back wall. Optionally, horizontal members H (which could be made of a similar material to pole  14  and  16 ) could extend between front end  18  and rear end  24 , rear end  24  and rear end  20 , rear end  20  and front end  22  to help hold the frame shape. Another horizontal member H could exist between front end  18  and front end  22  (not shown).  
         [0018]     Frame  12  has a front side  28 , a backside  30 , a left side  32 , and a right side  34 . An enclosure  36  extends substantially over each of the sides  30 ,  32 , and  34  leaving an opening O for front side  28 . The enclosure can be made of a number of different materials, such as, for example, canvass, nylon netting, or the like. While enclosure  36  could be taut over frame  12 , a taut enclosure would cause rebounding of a golf ball, which is particularly dangerous, so it is preferable to have enclosure  36  attached to frame  12  loosely. Enclosure  36  could be connected to frame  12  using ties  38 , as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0019]     A portion  40  of enclosure  36  substantially extends across backside  30 . Portion  40  is loosely coupled to frame  12  from a top  42  of cage  10  to a bottom  44  of cage  10 . Portion  40  is loosely coupled to allow portion  40  to billow out when a golf ball strikes portion  40 . Extending upwards from bottom  44  and internal to portion  40  exists a fold  46 , best seen in  FIG. 2 . Fold  46  has a top edge E attached to frame  12  such that when golf balls strike portion  40 , portion  40  billows out and a golf ball  48  drops into a fold opening F between top edge E of fold  46  and portion  40 . A bottom edge BE of fold  46  is attached to portion  40  such that bottom edge BE funnels golf ball  48  (and other golf balls not shown) to a central location  50 . A simple way to accomplish the funneling is to attach bottom edge BE to portion  40  such that bottom edge BE angles down from frame  12  to central location  50 . Instead of a fold in portion  40 , fold  46  could be a separate piece of enclosure material attached to portion  40 . Further, while shown attached to frame  12 , fold  46  could be attached to enclosure  36  along sides  32  and  34 . Attaching fold  46  to sides  32  and  34  would provide the advantage of funneling golf balls that struck sides  32  and  34 .  
         [0020]     Finally, shown in phantom, either or both sides  32  and  34  could have side folds  66 . Side folds  66  would be similar to fold  46  and will not be further explained herein.  
         [0021]     While the golf balls could easily be retrieved from central location  50 , a bucket  52  or bag could be attached to central location  50  as well. Bucket  52  can be metal, mesh netting, canvass, or the like. Bucket  52 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , could have a carrying handle  54  and a holder  56 . Holder  56  would have a top edge  58 . Top edge  58  would have a zipper  60  that could couple with a corresponding zipper  62  at central location  50 , such that bucket  52  could be releasably attached to central location  50 . Zippers  60  and  62  could be replaced with ties, elastic cord, or strips of hook and loop material similar to VELCRO®.  
         [0022]     Finally, cage  10  could be provided with an artificial floor  64 . Artificial floor  64  could be made out of a nylon material similar to enclosure  36  or other materials as a matter of design choice.  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In particular,  FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a golf cage  500 . Golf cage  500  is similar to golf cage  10 , and those similar portions will not be re-described herein. However, for completeness, golf cage  500  may comprise a frame  12  having crossed arcuate poles  14  and  16  defining an area A. Horizontal poles H (not labeled in  FIG. 5  may be used). Frame  12  defined front side  28 , backside  30 , left side  32 , and right side  34 . Enclosure  36  encloses backside  30 , left side  32 , and right side  34  leaving an opening O in front side  28 .  
         [0024]     Instead of a fold  46  in a portion  40  of backside  30 , a base net  100  is arranged over floor, which may be artificial floor  64 . Base net  100  extends substantially over the floor and is coupled to frame  12  such that base net  100  forms a conical shape. The conical shape funnels golf balls (not shown) to a central location  102 . A conventional coupling device  104 , such as a tie, a bungee cord, strips of hook and loop material, zippers, snaps, or the like couple base net  100 . Coupling device  104  is shown substantially about each corner  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112 . Base net  100  could be coupled to enclosure  36  as well using a conventional stitch or weld  114 . Optionally, base net  100  has seams  116  to assist in forming base net  100  into a conical shape. Anchor  118  may anchored central location  102  to the floor. Base net  100  also may be coupled so base net is coupled higher at corners  108  and  110 , and lower at corners  106  and  112 . This angles base net  100  towards the front of cage  500  making it easier to reach central location  102 .  
         [0025]     To prevent miss hits from rolling under base net  100 , a blocking net  120  may be connected across the base of front side  28 .  
         [0026]     Central location  102  would be a sufficient collection point for golf balls; however, a hole  122  may be placed at central location  120 . Similar to cage  10 , hole  122  may be connected to a collection device. Alternatively, a tube  124  may extend from hole  122  to a corresponding hole  126  in blocking net  120 . Thus, golf balls would drop into base net  100  and be funneled to central location  102 . At central location  102 , the golf balls would drop into hole  122  and travel along tube  124  and out hole  126  in blocking net  120 . A collection device may be connected to hole  126  to assist in collection or the golf balls may be allowed to gather at such a location.  
         [0027]     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.