Abstract:
The Golf Rack Bag is a golf club holder that is easily carried by a golfer with a full complement of clubs and accessories. Each club is secured yet readily accessible. The holder itself is very stable, light, and easily picked up and placed down without stooping or activating moving parts. The unique design of the Golf Rack Bag places the weight of the clubs on the golfers center of gravity and away from the golfers back.

Description:
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     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Golfers normally want a full complement of clubs and accessories with them when playing golf such that they always have the right club, enough balls and tees, towel, divot tool, greens marker, umbrella, windbreaker or sweater available when needed. Golfers who carry their bag are assured of having what they need available at all times. 
     The USGA (The United State Golf Association) rules allow up to 14 clubs; however, carrying clubs using current golf bags, which have club dividers and bag stands, are heavy and awkward. Often a golfer switches from carrying a bag to driving or pulling a cart because of the weight and awkwardness of carrying golf bags. 
     The awkwardness of carrying current golf bags results from different situations: 
     1) The collapsible bag stand at times hits golfers in the heel of their foot and trips them when they are preoccupied with their game while walking. 
     2) Golfers place the bag on the fringe upright, often times using a built in stand, when they arrive at the green. Normally there is some slope to the fringe and when the golfer is putting, the bag may fall making a lot of noise due to a slight gust of wind and/or the slope was too uneven for the upright golf bag. Many golfers avoid this mishap by placing the bag lengthwise on the fringe but this requires stooping to pick the golf bag up and often times a wet or dirty bag spoils the golfer&#39;s pants. 
     3) Golfers know what club they want but cannot find it in the bag. 
     4 Often times they find the club but they cannot pull it out easily without dislodging several other clubs. 
     5) Golfers shun distractions and many bags cause the clubs to bang together and make noise under normal operation. 
     6) Golf club shafts are often made of graphite and can be scored if allowed to rub against plastic bag dividers. 
     7) Carrying too many clubs is a penalty according to USGA scoring rules and sometimes golfers forget and leave a practice club in the bag and do not notice it until they tee off thereby incurring a penalty. 
     The weight burden for a golfer carrying a bag is stressful and constant. Today, more people are health conscious and desiring to exercise but no one wants to hurt their back carrying a golf bag. 
     The Golf Rack Bag contains all that the bag-carrying golfer needs and it is 20% of the weight of a traditional carrying golf bag, with collapsible stand and golf club separator devices, and has none of the awkwardness listed above. In fact, it is very comfortable and distributes the weight of the clubs to the golfers center of gravity and not to the golfers back. The Golf Rack Bag, although different in appearance from a traditional golf bag, is pleasing to the eye. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     A holder for a full complement of clubs and accessories protected from the ground surface, which is easily carried on either shoulder and placed down or picked up without stooping. A club is selected when carrying the Golf Rack Bag on the shoulder or when the Golf Rack Bag is placed on end to return a club. 
     The benefits of this invention are that the design produces a lightweight carrier that distributes the weight of the clubs away from the golfer&#39;s back to the golfer&#39;s center of gravity, is very stable at rest on any incline even with gusty winds, and each club is securely attached yet readily available. The design lends itself to placing accessories along the spine, storing the umbrella and clothing inside the holder and is easily adjustable for transportation and storage. 
     The golfer carrying the Golf Rack Bag will experience clean contact with the carrier, less noise, less fatigue, more carrying comfort, easier picking up and placing the bag in the most uneven terrain such as near bunkers, less distractions due to the quietness of the Golf Rack Bag in operation, and quicker club selection than using traditional carrying bags. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows the major components of the present invention requiring interaction for setup and storage. 
     FIG. 3 is an upright view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear view of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows two triangular shapes connected at their apex  1  and  2  by a connecting spine  3 , which is less than the length of a golf club shaft and grip  18 . Additionally, the triangular shapes have their sides connected at their base with connector assemblies  38  and  43  FIG.  5  and with support arms  4  and  5  parallel to the spine  3 . 
     The front triangular shape  1  has the flat legs  6  and  7  facing out to the side to accommodate seven clips  8  each for holding golf club shafts  18 . FIG. 1A shows the clip  8  partially surrounding the shaft  18  to hold it in place and allows the shaft  18  to be released directly away from the flat legs  6  and  7  by having the thumb push down on the lower ridge of the clip  19 . The released shaft  18  does not come in contact with the other shafts  18  because the release angle is not vertical. The flat legs  6  and  7  are slightly angled (FIG. 3) away from the spine  3  for stability and to accommodate clips  8  arranged to fit different size club heads. Also, the front triangular shape  1  has slats  20  extending beyond the connector assembly  38  for additional stability, height, and cleanliness in any terrain. FIG. 2 shows the slats  20  retracted for storage. The flat side  6  has the seven clips  8  positioned to accommodate, in order from top to bottom, a putter, sand wedge, pitching wedge, five wood, three wood, driver and another club of any size. The flat side  7  has the seven clips  8  positioned to accommodate irons, in order from top to bottom; nine iron, eight iron, seven iron, six iron, five iron, four iron, and three iron. 
     The rear triangular shape  2  has the flat sides  10  and  11 , perpendicular to the spine  3 , connected near their base by a rear connector assembly  43  FIG.  5 . The rear triangular shape  2  has the flat sides  10  and  11  facing the front, each with seven shallow containers  12 , affixed with a small protrusion  13 , cone like in nature, in their center for use in securing the golf club grip ends. All golf clubs grips have a small hole at their end. The fourteen shallow containers  12  allow the grip end of the golf club  18  to be held in place, however, the grip end is easily placed in the container  12 , as the shallowness of the container does not restrict access. The protrusion  13  inserts into the hole at the grip end of shaft  18 . FIG. 1B depicts a front view of the intersection of the grip end of the shaft  18  in the shallow container  12  with the protrusion  13  aligned with the hole at the end of the shaft grip end  18 . The shallow containers  12  help position the hole on the shaft grip end  18  to align with the protrusion  13  during normal use when returning the club to the Golf Rack Bag placed in an up right position FIG.  3 . 
     In FIG. 2 a conventional, adjustable, and double padded shoulder strap  14  is inserted with a flexible but sturdy wire  15 . The wire  15  is inserted into the strap  14  only once. The end of the wire  15  with the small loop  24  shown in FIG. 2 inserts inside the reinforced nylon webbing at point  22  so that the wire is not visible as it reaches a point  23  inside the strap  14 . The other end of the wire  15  terminates with the wire end  25  looping through the strap&#39;s connector loop  26 . The strap&#39;s connector loop  26  connects to a metal buckle  27 , which in turn connects to a metal clip  28 . The strap&#39;s  14  assembly normally connects the clip  28  to a conventional bag. However, in this instance the metal buckle  27  is placed on a protrusion  29  near the apex of the front triangular shape  1  and threaded through a removable housing  30 . The removable housing  30  sits at the apex of the front triangular shape  1 . When assembled, lifting slowly the strap  14  causes a cinching of the strap  14  to the housing  30  and once done does not need further attention for the Golf Rack Bag&#39;s use. A small golf towel could be attached to the clip  28 . There are no moving parts when in use and the housing  30  can be removed for storage by reversing the following procedure. 
     The sequence to attach the strap to the Golf Rack Bag is to place the clip&#39;s  28  end down through the top of the housing  30  with the buckle  27  following diagonally. Please reference FIG. 2A. A cutout  31  allows the strap&#39;s  14  width up to the insertion point  22  to enter the housing so that the buckle  27  would be lower than the protrusion  29  when the housing  30  is assembled. The strap&#39;s  14  width is then cupped around the wire from the connector loop  26  up to the wire insertion point  22 . The cupping of the strap&#39;s  14  width, from the connector loop  26  to the wire insertion point  22 , is accomplished by feeding the width of the strap  14  sideways into the housing  30  through the cutout  31 . Once this is done the housing  30  can be placed on the apex of the triangular shape  1 . The housing  30  is placed with the bottom inside wall  39  against the top hat  32  protrusion in FIG.  2  and the connector loop  26  is held against the slot top  33  with one&#39;s index finger. The slot top  33  provides just enough clearance for the thickness of the connector loop  26 . The housing  30  is then slid in the direction of the protrusion  29  by inserting the wing protrusions  34  into the wing receptacles  35  and the top hat  32  protrusion fits flush within the square opening  36  on the housing  30 . The buckle  27  is placed on the protrusion  29  against the apex wall  37  on FIG.  2 . Beginning with a small degree of lifting pressure on the strap, gradually increasing, a cinching action takes place on the strap within the housing at the apex wall  37  near the slot to  33 . The full weight of the clubs can be lifted and the Golf Rack Bag can be maneuvered freely. The full weight and stress of the Golf Rack Bag is on the strap  14  and not on the wire  15 . The wire is attached directly to the strap not to the triangular shape  1 , however the wire  15  obtains its directionality from the housing  30 . 
     The strap  14  always stands up and the Golf Rack Bag is easily raised using one&#39;s hand and arm but there is no need to bend at the waist or at the knees for anyone regardless of their height. Also, the Golf Rack Bag can be easily placed from the shoulder to the ground without any bending or placed in an upright position FIG. 3 without swinging it out to a crash landing, but rather the opposite hand simply guides the Golf Rack Bag onto the rear triangular shape&#39;s  2  back using the front connector assembly  38 . The design of the Golf Rack Bag distributes the weight of the clubs forward to the golfer&#39;s main trunk stem away from the golfer&#39;s back compared with conventional carry bags. 
     In FIG. 2 the extension slats  20  slide into flat legs  6  and  7 . The flat legs  6  and  7  are hollow and contain slots  40  and  41 . FIG. 2B is a view from the bottom of flat leg  7  looking up the hollow slot. When the legs are extended the slat protrusion  21  settles in slot  40  and when the legs are retracted the slat protrusion settles in slot  41 . The retraction of the slats  20  allows the Golf Rack Bag to be transported in a vehicle without any further disassembly. The slats  20  when extended provide the Golf Rack Bag additional stability, cleanliness in any terrain, and proper height to lift without stooping. FIG. 1 shows the slats  20  extended for use on the golf course. Additional compactness of the Golf Rack Bag for insertion into golf travel bags is obtained by removing the front connector assembly  38  from the front connector assembly holder  42  with a slight tap of the front connector assembly  38  with a club head and then one lifts the released front connector assembly upwards. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the rear connector assembly holders  42  and the rear connector assembly  43 . All four connector assembly holders  42  require this procedure to be followed, removing the front  38  and rear  43  connectors, to allow the Golf Rack Bag to be folded to one-half of its triangular span at its base. 
     FIG. 3 shows the connecting spine  3  and FIG. 4 shows the support arms  4  and  5 , which together provide a framework for a three-sided bag  44  to transport miscellaneous small items, windbreaker, and umbrella. Please reference FIG.  3 A. The fabric of the three-sided bag  44  is wrapped around a rod  45  with a diameter less than the diameter of the slot inside the spine  3  and arms  4  and  5  and the fabric exits through a channel  51 . The channel is the width of two pieces of three-sided bag  44  fabric thicknesses. The channels  51  in the spine  3  and arms  4  and  5  are angled towards the center of the Golf Rack Bag. The three sides of the three-sided bag  44  fabric are sewn together to form one continuous sheet and are capped at the rear FIG. 5 by stitching. Please reference FIG. 4 showing the front of the three-sided bag  44 , which has the sides stitched together at the top intersection and stitched along both the sides and bottom with Velcro sewn in clasps allowing the opening of the bag from either side. A cutout is provided at both ends for the umbrella  47  and at the ends of the spine  3  and support arms  4  and  5 . The small end of the umbrella fits in a ring  46  affixed to the rear connector assembly  43 . A five-golf ball container  48  is affixed on top of the spine. The strap  14  is adjustable as with any standard strap  14 . The free end  50  is inserted in slot  49 , referenced in FIG. 1, in the three-sided bag  44  and then the free end  50  is inserted through the standard buckle allowing excess strap material  50  referenced in FIG.  3 . 
     By standing the Golf Rack Bag in an upright position FIG. 3 on the rear triangular shape  2  one can replace a club by inserting the grip end hole of the shaft  18  with a slight push into the empty holder  12  aligned with the protrusion  13 . Next the golfer places the shaft  18  of the club within the empty clip  8  with a slight pressure moving the lower ridge of the clip  19  away from the shaft a small fraction of distance. Taking a club out can be done at any time, even while walking, by releasing the lower ridge of the clip  19  with the thumb and continuing with the same hand to pull the golf club  18  shaft slightly forward from the holder  12  and protrusion  13  and away from the open clip  8 . The golfer when walking with the Golf Rack Bag on the shoulder may rest the forearm comfortably on the front triangular shape  1  which positions the weight of the Golf Rack Bag to the golfers center of gravity and thereby is lighter than having the weight distributed to the golfers back. The Golf Rack Bag approximates the same storage space as traditional golf bags and it accommodates up to 14 clubs in accordance with USGA rules. 
     The Golf Rack Bag manufacturing process, material used, and the sequencing of the clubs, clips, and accessory placement can vary and would still be considered as part of this invention. The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principals of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.