Abstract:
A golf club holder for removably supporting a golf club above a ground surface, the golf club holder comprising a shaft and a handle that are each coupled to a joint. The handle and the shaft may be movable between a first position where they are substantially parallel, and a second position where they are substantially perpendicular. The shaft may include a ground-piercing member. The ground-piercing member of the first shaft can be pushed into the ground and supported thereby. The golf club holder can be folded up to be transported.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/727,411, filed Oct. 17, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     1. Field  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a support apparatus and method for supporting one or more golf clubs in a generally vertical condition. The golf club support apparatus is portable and is suitable for being carried with golf clubs in a golf bag.  
         [0004]     2. Background  
         [0005]     A golfer driving a golf ball onto or adjacent to a green often carries two clubs, one club being an iron to be used in making an approach shot, the other club being a putter for attempting to sink the ball into the hole cup. This is particularly true because golf cart paths rarely come close enough to golf greens so as to permit the golfer to select clubs conveniently from his or her golf bag. When the golfer is using one club, the other club is often placed on the ground. As a result, the handle of the other club often becomes wet and difficult to use. Moreover, the golfer may forget, walk away, and leave the unused club on the ground.  
         [0006]     In recognition of the fact that it is frequently necessary to take one or more clubs in addition to the putter when one approaches the green, a number of accessory-type devices are known for holding one or more clubs while another is being used. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,530 to Ortuno (“Ortuno”). Ortuno discloses a wire-type golf club stand, the top (proximal) end of which is deformed to provide a receptacle for the grip of one or more golf clubs. In Ortuno, the head of the club rests on the ground. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,137 to Robb (“Robb”) teaches the use of a disk element at the top of a support rod. The disk comprises a plurality of slots therethrough for receiving the handle portion of the golf club. In Robb, the head of the club rests on the ground.  
         [0007]     The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,087 to Thompson comprises an elongated rod, the distal end of which may be inserted into the ground. A hook-type structure is provided in the vicinity of the handle of the rod so that one or more clubs may rest therein and be supported thereby, with the head of the supported club resting on the ground.  
         [0008]     A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,239 to Roland (“Roland”). The holder disclosed in Roland also comprises an elongated rod, the distal end of which is inserted into the ground. Mounted adjacent to the handle of the rod are a series of ring-like members. To support the club, the handle of the golf club may be placed within a ring-like member and the head of the club will rest on the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,363 to Leote (“Leote”) discloses a similar device for supporting the shaft of a club while the head rests on the ground. The device of the Leote patent also includes a holder for other golf accessories such as, for example, a golf ball or a towel.  
         [0009]     The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,990 to Engel is a golf club rest for supporting the shaft of a club with the club head sitting on the ground. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,916 to Govoni discloses another such device wherein the supporting rod not only has a hook-type member extending from the top thereof, but the rod also comprises a hollow tube for receiving the shaft of a golf club. Thus, the shaft of a first club can be held within the tube, with the head of the first club up, and a second club can be received and supported by the hook such that the head of the second club rests on the ground, thereby supporting the club in a substantially vertical position.  
         [0010]     The disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 699,291 to Johnson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,334 to Wu each show holders for golf clubs wherein the grip of the club is oriented downwardly and the head of the club extends upwardly. Finally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,616,749 and 4,991,839 each disclose golf club supports which hold one or more golf clubs in a generally prone position with the head of the club sitting on the ground and the grip of the club at least slightly elevated above the ground.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0011]     A golf club holder is provided for removably supporting a golf club above a ground surface in such a manner that the club has a head which contacts the ground surface and a shaft which extends above the ground surface. The golf club holder may have a handle and a shaft that are each coupled to a joint. The handle and the shaft may be pivotably movable between a first position where they are substantially parallel to each other, and a second position where they are substantially perpendicular to each other. The shaft may include a ground-piercing member. The golf club holder can be folded up to be transported. The ground-piercing member of the shaft can be pushed into the ground, and supported thereby.  
         [0012]     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0013]     The invention can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale; emphasis is instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a golf club holder in a second position;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a the golf club holder of  FIG. 1  in the second position;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a golf club supported by the golf club holder of  FIG. 1  in the second position;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the golf club holder of  FIG. 1  in a first position;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view in an exemplary operational environment of the golf club holder of  FIG. 1  in the second position; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the golf club holder of  FIG. 1  in a first position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , golf club holder  10  is adapted for removably supporting a golf club  50  above a ground surface (not shown) in such a manner that the club  50  has a club head  52  which contacts the ground surface and a club shaft  54  which extends above the ground surface. The golf club holder  10  includes a shaft  12 , a joint  20 , and a handle  30 . The joint  20  may include a pivot pin  24 . The shaft  12  has a longitudinal axis B-B and may include a ground piercing end  16 . The handle  30  has a longitudinal axis C-C, may be substantially cylindrical, and may include a plurality of indentations  32 .  
         [0021]     The shaft  12  may be fabricated from a metal, a wood, a plastic, or another rigid material. The shaft  12  may be fabricated as a solid or hollow, tubular structure. In one embodiment, the shaft  12  comprises aluminum. However, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the shaft  12  may be comprised of almost any material. The handle  30  may be fabricated from metal, wood, plastic, foam, rubber, foam rubber, or a combination of these or other materials. In one embodiment, the handle  30  is fabricated from rubber similar to that found in a golf club grip. Again, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that handle  30  may be comprised of many different materials without affecting the operation of the golf club holder  10 .  
         [0022]     The piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  is shown in the drawings as a symmetrical solid of revolution, but a variety of shapes for piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  are possible. For example, the piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  may be an angled planar surface bisecting the shaft  12 . Several methods of providing a ground piercing shape are known in the art, and the pictorial description of the piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the claimed invention in any way.  
         [0023]     The shaft  12  is coupled by the joint  20  to the handle  30 . The joint  20  allows the shaft  12  and the handle  30  to pivot with respect to one another via an axis A-A. The pivot pin  24  of the joint  20  may extend through a first and second opening in the shaft  12  and the handle  30 , respectively, and may be, for example, flared at each end to hold the shaft  12  and handle  30  together. In one embodiment, the pivot pin  24  may comprise a rivet. In another embodiment, the pivot pin  24  may comprise a bolt and a nut. Several methods of coupling the shaft  12  to the handle  30  together while providing for relative pivoting are known in the art, and the descriptions of the joint  20  and pivot pin  24  are merely illustrative, and are not intended to limit the claimed invention in any way.  
         [0024]     The shaft  12  and the handle  30  may pivot between a first position wherein the longitudinal axis B-B of the shaft  12  and the longitudinal axis C-C of the handle  30  are substantially parallel and substantially collinear (shown in  FIG. 4 ), and a second position wherein the longitudinal axis B-B of the shaft  12  and the longitudinal axis C-C of the handle  30  are substantially at a right angle to one another (shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ). The relative positions of the longitudinal axis B-B of the shaft  12  and the longitudinal axis C-C of the handle  30  are maintained by a set of protrusions  14  that are incorporated into the handle  30 . The protrusions  14  extend into a cavity  36  (which is a hollow area) of the handle  30 . The cavity  36  extends from one end of the handle  30  to a middle portion along the length of the handle  30 , and may be a longitudinal opening, such as the u-shaped notch shown in  FIG. 2 . The joint may be coupled to the handle  30  near an interior end of the cavity  36 , as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0025]     The cavity  36  is substantially configured for receiving a portion of the shaft  12 , such that the first position a portion of the shaft  12  is partially, substantially, or completely enveloped by the handle  30 . The protrusions  14  extend into a cavity  36  far enough to inhibit relative movement between the shaft  12  and the handle  30  between either the first or second position, but not so far into the cavity  36  so as to prevent movement altogether. Therefore, the protrusions  14  provide a clearance less than the diameter of the shaft  12  such that the protrusions  14  engage and releaseably retain the shaft  12  when the golf club holder  10  is in the first position (substantially parallel). Thereby, the protrusions  14  function to keep the handle  30  in either the first position (substantially parallel) or the second position (substantially perpendicular). The degree of incursion by the protrusions  14  into the cavity  36  and the overall tolerance of the cavity  36  relative to the shaft  12  will determine the “tightness” of the locking of the golf club holder  10  into either the first or second position.  
         [0026]     The handle  30  may be coupled to the shaft  12  such that in the first position, shown in  FIG. 4 , the longitudinal axis C-C of the handle  30  is substantially parallel and substantially collinear to the longitudinal axis B-B of the shaft  12 . In this first position, the golf club holder  10  resembles a walking stick or a ski pole. As shown in  FIG. 4 , in the first position the golf club holder  10  may be easily stored in a golf bag. Furthermore, in the first position, the golf club holder  10  is also easy to carry, and may be used as a walking stick, as a position marker, or as a spear to aid in picking up and removing trash. The handle  30  may include a plurality of indentations  32 , which can prevent the club shaft  54  of the club  50  from sliding off of the handle  30  while the golf club holder  10  is in the second position. Additionally, the plurality of indentations  32  may facilitate gripping of the handle  30  when the piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  is driven into the ground surface  100 .  
         [0027]     The shape of the indentations  32  may be circular, v-shaped, u-shaped, squared, parabolic, or the like. The indentations  32  may each, in some fashion, decrease in diameter from the diameter of the handle  30  to about the diameter of the shaft  12 . Alternatively, the handle  30  could have a series of elevated rings, such that the shaft has a first diameter and each ring has a second diameter greater than the first diameter. In yet another alternative, the handle  30  may have no indentations or rings at all, and may have a single diameter, or a gradually changing diameter from end-to-end or middle-to-end. Many configurations of the handle  30  are possible such that the handle provides sufficient friction to support the club shaft  54  of the club  50 .  
         [0028]     In operation, a golfer locates the golf club holder  10  in a desired position such that the piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  is touching the ground surface, and the shaft  12  is at an angle of about between thirty (30) and sixty (60) degrees to the ground surface at that point. The golfer then applies pressure to the golf club holder  10 , thereby forcing the piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  into the ground surface. The ground itself will support golf club holder  10 . Next, the golfer pivots the handle  30  away from the shaft  12 , until the longitudinal axis C-C of the handle  30  is substantially parallel to the ground surface  100 . Of course, the golfer may also “open” the handle  30  prior to placing the piercing end  16  of the shaft  12  into the ground.  
         [0029]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , in this first position the golf club holder  10  is adapted for removably supporting one or more golf clubs  50  above the ground surface in such a manner that the club  50  has a head  52  which contacts the ground surface and the club  50  has a club shaft  54  which extends above the ground surface. The golfer may later remove the golf club holder  10  by folding the handle  30  back so that the longitudinal axis B-B is parallel and substantially collinear to the longitudinal axis C-C, and pulling on the handle  30 , which will cause the golf club holder  10  to become dislodged from the ground surface. Of course, the golfer may also fold the handle  30  back parallel to the shaft  12  prior to removal from the ground.  
         [0030]     Turning to  FIG. 5 , a perspective view of the golf club holder  10  in an exemplary operational environment is shown. The shaft  12  of the golf club holder  10  has penetrated a ground surface  56 . The club shaft  54  of the golf club  50  is shown resting on the handle  30  such that the club shaft  54  of the golf club  50  forms a first acute angle a with the shaft  12  of the golf club holder  10 . The shaft  12  is shown inserted into the ground surface  56  at a second acute angle β, where the second acute angle β is between about thirty (30) and sixty (60) degrees. While the second acute angle β is between about thirty (30) and sixty (60) degrees, the first acute angle α and the second acute angle β are inversely related such that as one increases, the other decreases. Where the second acute angle β is about forty-five (45) degrees, the majority of the force exerted by the golf club  50  on the golf club holder  10  due to gravity is in the direction of the shaft  12 , thereby holding the shaft  12  into the ground surface  56 . As more golf clubs  50  are rested against the golf club holder  10 , the force of gravity acts to hold the golf club holder  10  in place, rather than to remove it from the ground.  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the golf club holder  10 . In this alternate embodiment, the golf club holder  10  includes fabric shade  42 , fabric supports  44 , and couplings  46 . The couplings  46  may be hinged to allow the fabric supports  44  to move from a first position substantially parallel to the shaft  12  to a second position wherein the fabric supports  44  extend radially from the shaft  12  of the golf club holder  10 . In this embodiment, the golf club holder  10  is essentially an umbrella. This embodiment allows for a golfer to have a golf umbrella that also acts as a golf club support.  
         [0032]     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.