Abstract:
The present invention is directed at a humorous club head cover. The club head cover is designed to resemble the rear end of an animal. Therefore, when a golfer places the club head cover on a golf club stored in a golf bag, the animal appears to be jumping into the golf bag with the animal&#39;s rear quarters in full view.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a golf club cover that protects a golf club from damage when not in use. This invention particularly relates to a golf club cover that is designed to mimic the rear end of an animal so as to be entertaining to the golfer and others.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Golfers carry a set of golf clubs that comprises a collection of woods, irons, a putter, and often a pitching wedge or a sand wedge. All of these clubs are usually carried in a golf bag. Unfortunately, the clubs can be damaged because they rub against one another in the bag as the golfer moves from hole to hole on the course. Additionally, the golf clubs may become dusty when they are stored.  
         [0003]     To prevent this type of damage, club head covers are placed over the club heads when the clubs are not in use. A typical club head cover resembles a sock and is simply slid over the club head portion of the golf club. Another known club head cover utilizes two plastic pieces that are connected together with a hinge that enables the cover to securely fit around a club head.  
         [0004]     While known club head covers protect the clubs from damage, they have numerous drawbacks. -For example,-some club head covers do not fit snugly around the club. They tend to flop around as the golfer carries his bag, which can lead to the covers falling off the club. Additionally, known club head covers come in several different sizes which limits their usability with several different golf clubs. Another problem with known club head covers is their overall bland design. Most covers are nothing more than an unadorned piece of fabric. The plastic covers are not any more attractive, as they too are unadorned plastic shells that surround each club head.  
         [0005]     With the advent of Tiger Woods as the preeminent golfer, at least one club head cover has been developed that mimics the eponymous tiger, which adds some humor to the club head cover market (not to mention further branding for Mr. Woods). These club head covers feature fabric designed to mimic the anterior portion of an animal&#39;s body, with the head of the animal creating an illusion of an animal peaking over the edge of the golf bag. While aesthetically pleasing to some, these club head covers have become well known and add little excitement to the game of golf. What is really needed is a club head cover that cracks the traditional mold for golf club accessories.  
         [0006]     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new club head cover that fits securely around a club head and that can accommodate club heads of various sizes. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a club head cover that that does not flop around once it is slid over the club head. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a club head cover that is humorous and decorative.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention is a club head cover that is designed to mimic the posterior end of an animal. Specifically, the club head cover includes structural features peculiar to a given species to mimic the posterior end of an animal, including where appropriate, buttocks, legs, or a tail, constructed from material that resembles fur or skin. When placed over a club head on a golf club that is in a golf bag, the club head cover gives the illusion of the animal jumping or burrowing into the golf bag with its rear end in the air. The present invention also contemplates that any type of animal can be used, including mammals, fish, insects, etc.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a club head cover;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a partial sectional view of a club head cover placed on a golf club;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of a club head cover taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of a club head cover taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The present invention provides a club head cover that is structured to resemble the posterior end of an animal. As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the club head cover comprises a club head portion  10  connected to a shaft portion  12  to protect a golf club  14  from damage. Club head portion  10  is made from fabric in one embodiment and covers a club head  18 . Shaft portion  12  is constructed from a piece of stretchable fabric in one embodiment and is attached to club head portion  10  to cover a shaft  16 . Club head portion  10  can be made large enough to cover club heads of various sizes for all known golf clubs. Other embodiments enable shaft portion  12  to be constructed from any type of fabric or even a hard material such as plastic if desired.  
         [0013]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , club head portion  10  is constructed from a material  19  to enable it to resemble the posterior portion (i.e. rear end) of the animal. To this end, one embodiment of the club head portion  10  further comprises buttocks  17 , legs  20  and a tail  22  to mimic a horse as shown. But any type of animal, including a human or other mammal, fish, or insect etc., can be depicted by club head portion  10  and fall within the scope of the invention. Depending on the species, legs  20  should be eliminated and another part substituted therefore if the particular animal sought to be mimicked does not have legs. For example, a fin is used instead of legs if the animal is a fish and a stinger is used when the animal is a bee. If appropriate, (such as in the case of a fish), club head portion  10  can comprise the entire animal, including the head as long as the posterior portion is sticking up out of a golf bag during use.  
         [0014]     Animals that can be mimicked include (but are in no way limited to): a frog, cat, cow, baboon, cougar, duck, rabbit, pig, alligator, penguin, turkey, dog, zebra, rat, possum, deer, beaver, sheep, kangaroo, lion, bee, skunk, jaguar, bird, turtle, camel, squirrel, panda, tiger, ostrich, raccoon, goldfish, flamingo, donkey, bear, lady bug, chicken, giraffe, macaw, scorpion, polar bear, crab, black panther, bison, and a rattlesnake.  
         [0015]     Club head portion  10  is shaped and constructed to resemble any of these animals, in a manner similar to a stuffed animal. Along these lines, material  19  either already resembles an animal or is adorned with various other structural elements to do so. The shape and appearance of material  19  will vary depending on which type of animal is being depicted. Therefore, orange fabric with black stripes is used for material  19  to represent a Bengal tiger. A club head cover depicting a Bengal tiger also has a tail formed directly from material  19 . Alternatively, black and white spotted fabric is used to depict a cow. Examples of acceptable material to function as material  19  include plush, fabric, fur, suede, or vinyl. But any type of material can be used as long as it enables club head portion  10  to resemble an animal. Examples of other acceptable materials include hard materials such as plastics or metals. Specifically, if the animal sought to be represented is a bug or other insect, using plastic as material  19  is appropriate because insects typically have a hard exoskeleton that is represented well by plastic or another hard material.  
         [0016]     For certain animals, other structural element(s) are incorporated within material  19  or attached to it. For example, a cover depicting a cow likely comprises a separate structural element that represents an udder attached to the belly portion of the cow. A bird has feathers and a scorpion has claws, while a horse has a tail  22  as shown. In the end, any type of appendage can be applied to club head portion  10  to enable it to resemble the posterior portion of an animal.  
         [0017]     Turning now to  FIGS. 2-3 , the interior of club head portion  10  will be discussed. A liner  24  is sewn to the material  19  or attached to it by other methods including adhesives. In one embodiment, padding  26  is placed in one or more pockets that are formed between liner  24  and material  19  to create the external shape. For example, a cow&#39;s udder is made by constructing material  19  in a first shape and the liner  24  in a second shape, and filling the interstitial spaces created therebetween with padding. Additionally, a band  28  is concentric with and is attached to liner  24 . Band  28  is generally constructed from a stretchable material such as elastic and causes liner  24  to fit snugly against club head  18 . Preferably the band  28  is positioned on the liner such that, when the club is inserted in the cover, the band rests below the club head and contracts to hold the liner snug around the shaft.  
         [0018]     To ensure that appendages maintain a life-like appearance, a wire  30  may be inserted within each appendage as shown in  FIG. 4 . Wire  30  enables legs  20  to be erect to simulate how animal legs appear in real life. In one embodiment, wire  30  is constructed from a bendable material such as metal to allow the golfer to bend each leg  20  to a desired position and remain in that position until bent to another one. If appropriate, another wire  30  may be inserted into the tail to be used to enable tail  22  to be bent and retain its shape. Alternatively, wire  30  can be inserted within wings to give them rigidity if the animal represented is a bird. As shown, wire  30  has a circular cross-section, but any shape can be utilized for wire  30  and fall within the scope of the present invention, including flat or rectangular wires.  
         [0019]     In one embodiment, wire  30  is coated so that it does not rust or protrude through material  19 . Any type of plastics, rubbers or similar materials can be used to coat wire  30 . One acceptable material is polyvinyl chloride or PVC. In one embodiment, wire  30  disposed within legs  20  and tail  22  is directly surrounded by padding  26 . But, in other embodiments, liner  24  could be extended into legs  20  and tail  22  to contact wire  30 .  
         [0020]     In certain embodiments, wire  30  can be completely eliminated so that legs  20  and tail  22  are limp. Or, other types of devices can be used besides wire  30  to make legs  20  and tail  22  more rigid. Some examples include constructing appendages from plastic, metal, or rubber rods, tubes or coils.  
         [0021]     As we reach the end of this description, it is apparent that the club head cover of the present invention is an effective and humorous device to protect golf club  14  from damage. Besides protecting club  14  from damage, the club head cover(s) of the present invention also enable a golfer to easily identify which club  14  is covered by a particular club head cover. Specifically, a user can “assign” a particular animal to a club and easily remember which club  14  is beneath the myriad of club head covers in his golf bag. For example, a golfer might decide to only use a club head cover that resembles a horse for his 3-wood and another club head cover that resembles a cow for his driver. This enables the golfer to easily select the club he needs even if all the clubs are covered in his golf bag.  
         [0022]     While there has been illustrated and described what is at present considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that this invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.