Abstract:
The golf ball conveying apparatus is provided in a place such as an indoor driving range to collect a golf ball, struck by a golfer, and places the golf ball onto a golf tee again. The golf ball conveying apparatus prevents dimples of a golf ball from wearing during a process of conveying the golf ball and solves a problem in which a ball conveying pipe becomes clogged by a damaged golf ball supplied into the ball conveying pipe.

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not applicable.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not applicable.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention relates generally to golf ball conveying apparatuses which are provided in places such as indoor driving ranges to collect a golf ball, struck by a golfer, and place the golf ball onto a golf tee again and, more particularly, to a golf ball conveying apparatus which prevents dimples of a golf ball from wearing during a process of conveying the golf ball and solves a problem in that a ball conveying pipe becomes clogged when a damaged golf ball enters the ball conveying pipe.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Generally, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in an indoor driving range, golf balls, struck by golfers, are collected and supplied to a golf ball conveyor  1  provided on an upper portion of the indoor driving range. Thereafter, the golf balls are supplied to a plurality of tee areas through first ball conveying pipes  2 . Golf balls, which have been supplied to each swing section, enter a temporary storage container  3  which has an air blower  3   a  and a golf ball storage box  3   b.  When no golf ball is in a tee-up device  4  embedded in the ground after a golfer has struck the previous golf ball, the air blower  3   a  of the temporary storage container  3  operates. Thus, a golf ball, which has been in the golf ball storage box  3   b,  is rapidly supplied to the tee-up device  4  through a second ball conveying pipe  6  by the pressure of the air blower  3   a.  Thereafter, the golf ball is seated onto a rubber tee  5  which is provided at a predetermined position on the tee-up device  4 . As such, the golfer can repeatedly practice his/her golf swing.  
         [0006]     However, in such a golf ball conveying apparatus, because most indoor driving ranges are small, the first pipe and the temporary storage container may interfere with the swing of a golfer. This makes it difficult for the golfer to concentrate on his/her swing. Furthermore, if a damaged golf ball enters the second ball conveying pipe, the damaged golf ball becomes stuck due to friction between the inner surface of the second ball conveying pipe and a damaged portion of the golf ball. Thus, the second ball conveying pipe is clogged by the damaged golf ball. In particular, because the second ball conveying pipe is embedded in the ground, it is very difficult to remove the damaged golf ball from the second ball conveying pipe.  
         [0007]     Typically, a golfball has dimples which are intended to increase the distance that the golfball travels. However, in the conventional golf ball conveying apparatus, while a golf ball rapidly moves along the second ball conveying pipe, the dimples of the golfball wear rapidly due to contact between the golfball and the inner surface of the second ball conveying pipe. Thus, the lifetime of the golf ball is reduced.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball conveying apparatus which is reduced in size, thus providing a golfer with plenty of room in a driving range, and which prevents dimples of a golf ball from wearing during a process of conveying the golf ball, and in which, even if a damaged golf ball enters a ball conveying pipe, the damaged golf ball is easily removed from the ball conveying pipe, thus solving a problem of the ball conveying pipe becoming clogged by a damaged golf ball.  
         [0009]     In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a golf ball conveying apparatus, including: a support bracket provided at a predetermined position in a housing of a tee-up device, with a through hole and a coupling hole formed at predetermined positions through the support bracket; a rotating pipe inserted at an end thereof into the through hole of the support bracket, with a spiral protrusion provided on an inner surface of the rotating pipe, and a gear provided at a predetermined position on an outer surface of the rotating pipe; and a pipe support unit provided around each of opposite ends of the rotating pipe. The pipe support unit has a pipe holding plate placed on a surface of the support bracket, with a bearing provided in the pipe holding plate, a plurality of spring seats provided at predetermined positions in the pipe holding plate, and a plurality of springs seated in the spring seats, respectively, so that the bearing is supported by the plurality of springs seated in the spring seats and is in close contact at an inner surface thereof with the rotating pipe. The pipe support unit further has a cover coupled to a surface of the pipe holding plate, with a coupling hole formed at a predetermined position through the cover, so that a locking bolt passes through both a coupling hole of the cover and a coupling hole of the pipe holding plate and is fastened into the coupling hole which is provided in the support bracket and has an internal thread, thus the pipe support unit supports the rotating pipe. The golf ball conveying apparatus further includes a motor provided at a predetermined position on the support bracket, with a gear provided on an output shaft of the motor and coupled to the gear of the rotating pipe by a chain, thus rotating the rotating pipe. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing an indoor driving range in which a conventional golf ball conveying apparatus is established.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a golf ball conveying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing a pipe support unit of the golfball conveying apparatus of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view showing the assembled pipe support unit of  FIG. 3 ; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal sectional view showing a rotating pipe of the golf ball conveying apparatus according to the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a golf ball conveying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing a pipe support unit  30  of the golfball conveying apparatus of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a side view showing the assembled pipe support unit  30  of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 5  is a longitudinal sectional view showing a rotating pipe  26  of the golf ball conveying apparatus according to the present invention.  
         [0018]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a tee-up device  100 , which is embedded in the ground underneath a user, includes a golf ball setting device  20  which is provided at a predetermined position in the housing of the tee-up device  100 , and a pipe driving unit  40  which is provided in the housing near the golf ball setting device  20 . The golf ball setting device  20  has a sensor  14  to monitor whether a golf ball is on a tee  11  or not, and a rotating body  13  which is rotated by a first motor  12  that is provided at a predetermined position in the golf ball setting device  20 , so that a golf ball  10  is seated on the tee  11  by the rotating body  13 .  
         [0019]     The pipe driving unit  40  has a support bracket  21  which is attached at a predetermined position to the housing of the tee-up device  100 . Two through holes  21   b  are formed at predetermined portions through the support bracket  21 . Both a second motor  22  and a first gear  23 , which is coupled to the second motor  22 , are supported by the support bracket  21  using one through hole  21   b.  The rotating pipe  26 , which is integrally provided with a second gear  25  coupled to the first gear  23  by a chain  24 , passes through the remaining through hole  21   b  of the support bracket  21 . The pipe support unit  30  is placed on the surface of the support bracket  21  at a position corresponding to the rotating pipe  26 .  
         [0020]     The pipe support unit  30  is provided on the support bracket  21  at a position corresponding to the rotating pipe  26 . The pipe support unit  30  includes a pipe holding plate  31  which is placed on the support bracket  21 . A bearing  32  is provided in the pipe holding plate  31 . A plurality of spring seats  31   a  is provided around the bearing  32  in the pipe holding plate  31 . A spring  33  is seated in each spring seat  31   a,  so that the bearing  32  is supported by the springs  33  seated in the spring seats  31   a  and is in close contact at an inner surface thereof with the rotating pipe  26 . The pipe support unit  30  further includes a cover  34  which is provided on the surface of the pipe holding plate  31 , with a through hole  34   a  formed through the cover  34  to pass the rotating pipe  26  through the cover  34 . A coupling hole  34   b  is formed at a predetermined position through the cover  34 , so that a locking bolt passes through both the coupling hole  34   b  of the cover  34  and a coupling hole  31   b  of the pipe holding plate  31  and is fastened into the coupling hole  21   a  which is provided in the support bracket  21  and has an internal thread. Thus, the pipe support unit  30  supports the rotating pipe  26 .  
         [0021]     Furthermore, a spiral protrusion  26   a  is provided on an inner surface of the rotating pipe  26 . The second gear  25  is integrally provided at a predetermined position on an outer surface of the rotating pipe  26 . The rotating pipe  26  passes through an outer pipe  27 .  
         [0022]     The operation of the golf ball conveying apparatus of the present invention will be explained herein below.  
         [0023]     First, a golf ball, struck by a golfer, is conveyed to a golf ball conveyor provided on an upper portion of a driving range. Thereafter, the golf ball is supplied to a ball conveying pipe (not shown) which is installed in a support wall of the driving range.  
         [0024]     Subsequently, the golf ball moves to the ground through the ball conveying pipe. Thereafter, the golf ball is supplied into the rotating pipe  26  which is embedded in the ground. Here, because the rotating pipe  26  is inserted into the outer pipe  27  and the opposite ends of the rotating pipe  26  are supported by the pipe support units  30 , even if the rotating pipe  26  is embedded in the ground, the rotation of the rotating pipe  26  is reliable.  
         [0025]     Furthermore, the pipe support unit  30  is placed on the surface of the support bracket  21 , and the through hole  21   b,  which is greater in diameter than the outer diameter of the rotating pipe  26 , is formed through the support bracket  21 . Thus, the rotating pipe  26  passes through the through hole  21   b  of the support bracket  21 . Moreover, the rotating pipe  26  passes through the pipe holding plate  31  such that the outer surface of the rotating pipe  26  is in close contact with the inner surface of the bearing  32  which is provided in the pipe holding plate  31  and is supported by the plurality of springs  33 . The cover  34  including the through hole  34   a,  through which the rotating pipe  26  passes, and which has the same diameter as the through hole  21   b  of the support bracket  21 , is coupled to the pipe holding plate  31  by the locking bolt. Thus, the elasticity of the springs  33  prevents the bearing  32  from damage due to movement of the rotating pipe  26 , so that the rotating pipe  26  can smoothly rotate.  
         [0026]     Meanwhile, the second gear  25  is integrally provided on the rotating pipe  26  at a predetermined position in the tee-up device  100 . The first gear  23  of the second motor  22  is coupled to the second gear  25  by the chain  24 . Therefore, when the second motor  22  is operated, the second gear  25  rotates along with the first gear  23 . As a result, the rotating pipe  26  rotates.  
         [0027]     As such, when the rotating pipe  26  rotates, a golf ball, which is in the rotating pipe  26 , rotates and moves along the spiral protrusion  26   a,  which is provided on the inner surface of the rotating pipe  26 , and the golf ball moves along the rotating pipe  26  to the tee-up device  100 . Here, even if the rotating pipe transversely vibrates while rotating, because the bearing  32  is supported by the springs  33  of the pipe support unit  30 , the bearing  32  is prevented from being damaged.  
         [0028]     When the second motor  22  reversely rotates, the golf ball in the rotating pipe  26  is discharged to the outside through the end of the rotating pipe  26  opposite the tee-up device  100 . Therefore, the present invention can easily remove a damaged golf ball from the rotating pipe  26 .  
         [0029]     Furthermore, the sensor  14  is provided in the golfball setting device  20 . Accordingly, because the sensor  14  monitors whether a golf ball is on the tee  11  or not, only when no golf ball is placed on the tee  11  is the second motor  22  operated.  
         [0030]     As described above, a golf ball conveying apparatus according to the present invention does not require a separate temporary storage container. Therefore, compared with conventional apparatuses, a golfer can use a larger space in an indoor driving range. Furthermore, the golf ball conveying apparatus of the present invention has a simple structure and the method of operating the apparatus is easy. Thus, even if the rotating pipe becomes clogged by a damaged golf ball, the present invention can easily remove the damaged golf ball. In addition, the present invention has markedly reduced manufacturing costs compared with conventional apparatuses.  
         [0031]     Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.