Abstract:
A golf club head cover and method of using is disclosed. The golf club head cover includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion adapted for protecting the head of the club, the lower portion operatively connected to the upper portion for protecting at least a portion of the shaft of the club, the lower portion having an open collar. The golf club head cover can include an identifier that identifies a size of the golf club head cover. The present invention also includes a method of using the golf club head cover. The method includes providing a golf club head cover having a body with an upper portion and a lower portion, inserting a golf club head into the upper portion, and pressing the hosel or shaft of the club into the lower portion to secure the golf club head cover to the club.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a Continuation-in-part of patent application U.S. Ser. No. 10/897,270 filed Jul. 22, 2004, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,647, which is a Continuation of patent application U.S. Ser. No. 10/136,004 filed Apr. 30, 2002, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,665, which is a Continuation-in-part of patent application U.S. Ser. No. 10/056,355 filed on Jan. 24, 2002, now abandoned, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to the field of golf accessories. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to an improved golf club head cover and methods of using the golf club head cover. 
   Golf club head covers have been widely used for some time to protect the heads of golf clubs. Using the cover protects a golf club head from marring, scratching or other damage often caused by contact with other clubs or club heads. The cover can also protect at least a portion of the golf club shaft from similar damage. 
   One problem with club head covers is that they tend not to stay secured to the club head and/or shaft. When a club head cover fails to maintain its position secured to a club head or shaft, it does not serve its intended function, as it is no longer protecting the club head. Some prior art head covers are susceptible to being undone, allowing the club head cover to become dislodged. 
   A further problem with golf club head covers is the amount of effort required to secure the head cover around the golf club when storing, as well as the time required to remove the golf club head cover when using the club. Prior art golf club head covers generally require some additional effort to both secure and unsecure the head cover from the golf club. If the amount of effort becomes too much, it is likely that the golfer will simply not use the head cover, particularly during a round of golf. Of course, if the head cover is not being used, then it can not fulfill its intended purpose of protecting the golf club head. 
   Yet another problem with golf club head covers has been created due to the number of different type of clubs now available. The sizes of golf club heads no longer follow any generalized rules. For example, many clubs are oversized. Thus, a head cover that is identified as appropriate for a driver, may not actually fit all drivers that are available given the varying sizes. Thus, a golfer may not be able to determine what size of golf club head cover to get for a club without trying various sizes. Although a one-size-fits-all golf club head cover could be used, such a golf club head cover is likely to have at least some of the deficiencies previously discussed. Thus, there are problems in identifying what golf club head cover to use with what club. 
   Therefore, problems remain in the art, and there exists a need in the art for an improved golf club head cover. 
   A general object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the provision of an improved golf club head cover and methods of using the golf club head cover that overcome the problems and deficiencies found in the prior art. 
   Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the provision of a golf club head cover and methods of using the golf club head cover to protect a golf club head from marring and scratching. 
   Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the provision of a golf club head cover and methods of using the golf club head cover that also protect at least a portion of the golf shaft from damage. 
   Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the provision of a golf club head cover that is easily and quickly secured to a golf club. 
   A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the provision of a golf club head cover that is resistant to becoming accidentally unsecured. 
   A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the provision of a golf club head cover that is durable in use and economical to manufacture. 
   Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is a golf club head cover that readily allows a golfer to determine if the golf club head cover will fit a particular club. 
   These as well as other objects, features and/or advantages of the present invention become apparent from the following specification and claims. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The golf club head cover of the present invention includes a protective cover that can be easily secured to and removed from a golf club. The golf club head cover is not prone to becoming accidentally unsecured. According to one aspect of the present invention, the golf club head cover includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion adapted for covering the head of the club and the lower portion for protecting a portion of the shaft of the club, the lower portion having an open collar. 
   According to another aspect of the invention, a method of protecting a golf club includes providing a golf club head cover having a body with an upper portion and a lower portion, inserting the golf club head into the upper portion, and pressing the hosel or shaft of the club into the lower portion to secure the golf club head cover to the club. This aspect of the invention allows the golf club head to be protected in a convenient manner. 
   Another aspect of the present invention provides for protecting a head of a golf club. The cover includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion adapted for protecting the head of the club, the lower portion adapted for protecting at least a portion of the hosel or shaft of the club, and the lower portion having spaced apart sidewalls. This structure for the golf club head cover allows the cover to be quickly and conveniently secured to the club head. 
   A further aspect of the present invention provides for attaching an identifier to the body of a golf club head cover. The identifier indicates a size of the golf club head cover and can be independent of the type of club used. The identifier provides a convenient method of determining whether a particular head cover will fit a particular club. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the golf club head cover. 
       FIG. 2  is another side elevational view of the golf club head cover. 
       FIG. 3  is a top elevational view of a clip for use with the golf club head cover. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the clip shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of the golf club head cover. 
       FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the golf club head cover. 
       FIG. 6A  is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the golf club head cover. 
       FIG. 7  is another side elevational view of the golf club head cover of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 7A  is another side elevational view of the golf club head cover of  FIG. 6A . 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of the golf club head cover of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8A  is a front elevational view of the golf club head cover of  FIG. 6A . 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention where an outside fastener is used. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention where an inside fastener is used. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention where a snap fastener is used. 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention showing a set of golf club head covers of varying sizes. 
       FIG. 14  is a flow diagram. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention will now be described as it applies to its preferred embodiments. It is not intended that the present invention as claimed be limited to the described embodiments or equivalents thereof. It is intended that the invention cover all modifications and alternatives which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     FIGS. 1-5  of the drawings shows one embodiment of the golf club head cover  10 , which is intended for use with a putter  12  (shown in dashed lines). The golf club head cover  10  includes an upper portion  14  which is in the form of a protective pocket or cavity adapted to fit the head of the putter  12 . The golf club head cover  10  also includes a lower portion  16 . The lower portion  16  is adapted to fit around a portion of the hosel or shaft of the putter  12 . The lower portion  16  may be a collar. The lower portion or collar  16  is an open collar adjacent to the upper portion  14  that allows the putter head to be inserted into the golf club head cover  10  (see  FIG. 1 ). The golf club head cover  10  also includes a lining  18  (see  FIG. 5 ). The present invention contemplates that the golf club head cover  10 , as well as the lining  18 , may be made from a variety of materials, including leather, fabric, padding, and other materials. Methods of construction are well known in the art. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the golf club head cover  10  also includes a fastener to secure the golf club head cover  10  to the club. The present invention contemplates that numerous types of fasteners can be used. For example, clips, snaps, clasps, hook and loop type fasteners such as VELCRO, and other types of fasteners can be used. Shown in  FIG. 1  is a clip  20 . The clip  20  is disposed about the lower portion  16  of the golf club head cover  10 . The clip  20  is preferably a resilient, c-shaped clip that is partially open with inverted ends, such as the clip shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The clip  20  allows the golf club head cover  10  to fit around a golf club head and then to be secured to the hosel or shaft of the golf club by the clip  20 . The clip  20  may be made from a variety of different materials, including metals, hard plastics or other resilient materials capable of receiving the hosel or shaft of the golf club and maintaining the golf club head cover in a secured position. 
   The clip  20  is preferably disposed within the interior lining  18  of the golf club head cover  10 , although the clip need not be placed in the lining nor the interior of the golf club head cover. When placed within the interior lining  18  of the golf club head cover  10 , the clip  20  cannot damage the shaft or club head of the golf club. The present invention, however, also contemplates that the clip  20  or other fastener need not be located in the interior lining, provided that it is attached to the lower portion  16  or collar of the golf club head cover  10 . The purpose of this or other fasteners is to secure the golf club head cover to the shaft, thus the fasteners can be of different varieties and can be located in different positions based upon the specific size and shape of the golf club head cover and type of fastener used. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate one embodiment of the resilient, c-shaped clip  20 . As shown in the figures, the clip  20  is adapted to receive the shaft of the putter  12  in order to secure the golf club head cover  10 . The shape of the clip  20  shown allows a golfer to easily clip the golf club head cover  10  to the shaft and to easily unclip the golf club head cover  10  from the shaft. At the same time, however, the shape of the clip  20  also serves to retain or secure the golf club head cover  10  in position. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to clips let alone any particular shape or size of clip. The clip  20  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  is exemplary only. 
   One intended use of the golf club head cover  10  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the head of the putter  12  is first inserted into the cavity formed by the upper portion  14  of the protective cover of the golf head cover  10 . The golf head cover  10  is then rotated so that the lower portion  16  of the protective cover moves toward the shaft of the putter  12  until the clip  20  is secured about the shaft (see  FIG. 2 ). To remove the golf club head cover  20 , the golfer simply pulls up on the pull tab  21 , which is sewn or otherwise connected to the protective cover. 
   The present invention contemplates that the golf club head cover may be of various sizes and may be shaped to fit a variety of clubs, including putters, irons and woods, all of various sizes. For example, an alternative embodiment of the invention intended for use with a wood or metal driving club is shown in  FIGS. 6-8 . The golf club head cover  22  shown in  FIG. 6  includes a protective cover having an upper portion  26  shaped to fit around a club head of the golf club  24 . The protective cover also includes a lower portion  28  that includes the same resilient clip  20  (shown in dotted lines) or other fastener. The lining of the golf club head cover  22  is denoted by reference numeral  30 . The lower portion  28  of the protective cover extends away from the upper portion  26  a sufficient distance to partially surround at least a portion of the shaft of the golf club. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7  again illustrate the intended use of the golf club head cover  22 . As described previously, once the club head is inserted into the cavity of the upper portion  26 , the lower portion  28  is rotated towards the shaft until the clip  20  is secured about the shaft of the golf club. The lower portion  28  includes spaced apart sidewalls  35  that form an open collar  34 . The spaced apart sidewalls  35  taper downward. The widest portion of the collar is suitable for accepting the club head of a wood that is inserted. This allows the club head cover  22  to be easily fitted to a club and easily removed. The golf club head cover  22  is removed by simply pulling the lower portion  28  of the protective cover away from the shaft. 
   As best shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  7 A and  8 A, the golf club head cover  22  can additionally have one or more flaps  90 . The edge of the flaps  92  may be rounded or padded to protect a golf club head, which is inserted into the cover  22 . The design of cover  22 , as shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  7 A and  8 A are similar to those shown in  FIGS. 6-8  and are used similarly to those shown in  FIGS. 6-8 . The flaps  90  have a top portion  94  which attaches to a top portion of the collar  34  at the upper portion  26  of the cover  22 . Similarly, the flaps  90  have a side portion  96  which attaches to the collar  34  along the sidewalls  35 . Preferably, the flaps  90  are constructed from a flexible material or other covering to allow the flaps  90  to flex open while the golf club head  24  is inserted into the cover  22 . Then, once the golf club  24  is inserted into the cover  22 , the flaps  90  can flex back to their original position, as shown in  FIG. 8A , thereby giving additional protection to the shaft of the golf club  24 . The flaps  90  can be stitched or otherwise held to the cover. Additionally, the flaps  90  can be integrally formed from the upper portion  26  or the sidewalls  35 . 
     FIGS. 6A ,  7 A and  8 A additionally show a tab  98 , which is similar to the tab  21  and the tab  32  shown in other figures. The tab  98  helps in the removal of the cover  22  from the golf club  24 . The tab  98  may or may not be used with the present invention. 
   It can be appreciated that one difference between the two embodiments shown is the position of the lower portions ( 16 ,  28 ) and clip  20  relative to the shaft of the golf club ( 12 ,  24 ). In the first embodiment intended for use with a putter, the opening to the cavity in the golf club head cover is at the rear of the head cover; whereas, in the second embodiment, intended for wood and metal driving clubs, the opening to the cavity is disposed toward the front of the head cover. 
   Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 9 . The golf club head cover  22  includes a tab  32  attached to the lower portion  28  of the body of the golf club head cover. The pull tab  32  is preferably positioned adjacent to or opposite the fastener such that the tab  32  can be pulled to unfasten the golf club head cover from the shaft or hosel of the golf club. This allows the golf club head cover to be easily and conveniently removed, or at least unfastened from the golf club. A hook and loop type fastener  38  such as VELCRO is also shown. At least a portion of the fastener may be mounted to the outside of the golf club head cover  22  as shown. 
   As shown in  FIG. 9 , the integral body of the golf club head cover  22  is formed from a back wall portion  66 , a front wall portion  64  and first and second opposite side wall portions  60  and  62 . The first and second opposite side wall portions  60  and  62  extend downwardly from the front wall portion  64  to form an open collar  34  below the front wall portion  64 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 10 , all, or a portion of the fastener may be mounted on the inside of the golf club head cover, where fastener portions  42  and  44  can be pressed together in order to matingly connect the opposite sidewalls of the lower portion of the golf club head cover. Preferably, to remove the golf club head cover  22  from a club, a golfer can simply pull the tab  32 . However, the present invention also contemplates that a fastener may also require being separately unfastened prior to removal of the head cover  22 , depending upon the type of fastener used. 
     FIG. 11  shows another embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 11 , a hook  47  and ring  49  form a fastener in order to secure the golf club head cover  22  to a shaft of a club. In  FIG. 12 , a fastener is shown with snap portions  46  and  49  for securing the golf club head cover  22  to a shaft of the club. The present invention contemplates that other types of fasteners can also be used, and is in no way limited to the particular types of fasteners shown. 
   Returning to  FIG. 11 , there is an identifier  48  shown on the body of the golf club head cover  22 . The identifier  48  can be used to indicate a size of a particular golf club head cover as opposed to the type of golf club to be used with the head cover. One convenient identifier is to associate the identifier with a volume of the golf club head cover. For example, an identifier of “400” can be used to indicate that the golf club head cover is sized to cover approximately 400 cubic centimeters. The present invention contemplates that other measurement systems can be used. One importance of the identifier is that the identifier can be based on size and is independent of the type of golf club used. 
   The identifier is attached to the body in any number of ways. For example, the identifier can be sewn or stitched, secured with an adhesive, tied or otherwise attached. The present invention is in no way limited to the particular manner of attachment. 
     FIG. 13  provides a perspective view of a set  50  of golf club head covers. In  FIG. 13 , the golf club head covers are of various sizes. Golf club head cover  22 A includes an identifier  48 A of “400.” Golf club head cover  22 B includes an identifier  48 B of “325.” Golf club head cover  22 C includes an identifier  48 C of “250.” Golf club head cover  22 D includes an identifier  48 D of “200.” Golf club head cover  22 E includes an identifier  48 E of “150.” As shown, each of these identifiers is related to a volume of the golf club head cover as measured in cubic centimeters. The present invention, however, contemplates, that other measurements of sizes and other measurements of volume can be used. The present invention contemplates that the golf club head covers can be sold individually, or in sets that contain a plurality of golf club head covers of different or same sizes.  FIG. 14  shows one method for using the present invention. 
   From the foregoing it can be seen that the present invention contemplates numerous variations in the type of fastener if used, the location of the fastener, the shape of the fastener, the material used for the cover, the material used for the liner of the cover, the size of the golf club head cover, the identifier placed on the cover, if used, and other variations.