Abstract:
A tee portion and a height regulating portion cooperate to form a height adjustable golf tee where the user may readily and easily adjust placement of the height regulating portion relative to a placement zone along the tee portion and lock the height regulating portion at a desired location defined by the user. The height regulating portion is locked onto the tee portion during assembly where it may not inadvertently become separated during use, transport or storage. The height regulating portion is easily transferred between an adjustment position and a locking position utilizing a simple toggle like action. The height adjustable golf tee provides for a golf ball to be retained consistently at a user defined elevation above the ground during play of the game of golf.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   Generally, the invention relates to golf tees to support a golf ball above the ground during lay of the game of golf. More specifically, the invention relates to height adjustable golf tees which have a portion which may be manipulated by the user to provide for a user selectable height of a golf ball positioned on the height adjustable golf tee relative to the ground. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   The game of golf is enjoyed by many persons. Such players range from beginner players to occasional recreational players to serious recreational players to serious amateur players to professional players. Many regular non-professional players, including retired or semi-retired persons, routinely enjoy the game of golf on a very regular basis. It is common to have players of golf living in communities which have at least one golf course owned and operated by the community. Such players often enjoy a round of golf on a very regular schedule, including daily. 
   Tees are devices which typically penetrate the ground and have a golf ball contact structure positioned thereon where a golf ball is retained in an elevated position above the ground for ready striking by the player utilizing a golf club. Typically golf tees are utilized to elevate the golf ball above the ground during the initial stroke during each hole of play. Each player will have a personal preference for elevational height of the golf ball depending upon which club is utilized. Some players prefer the golf ball to be positioned fairly close to the ground. Some players prefer the golf ball to be retained at a higher elevation from the ground. Head size for a respective club will often influence the players desired placement of the golf ball relative to the ground. The condition of the grass may also factor into a specific players selection of elevation of their golf ball. 
   Each player may have their own unique method of placing their tee where their golf ball is retained at a desired elevation above the ground. This typically involves manually manipulating their tee during insertion in the ground, stepping back to observe the tee often with a golf ball resting thereon, then readjusting if judged to be too high or too low relative to the ground. This arrangement provides for a very imprecise placement which, due to the inconsistency of placement, tends to adversely effect overall performance of the player during play of the game of golf. 
   A wide variety of golf tees having insertion limits have been proposed including versions having user selectable adjustment of the insertion limiting structure along the tee portion where the user may select an elevational position of a golf ball positioned on the tee. Typically these adjustable structures are formed of two (2) parts which may easily be separated by the user. Additionally, these adjustable structures typically have a limited number of placement locations of the insertion limiting structure relative to the tee portion. Some elevational placement tees merely have a single insertion limiting structure fixedly positioned on the tee to prevent over insertion into the ground where the golf ball is retained at a predefined elevation when the tee is completely inserted to the insertion limiting structure. 
   Various deficiencies exist with each of the known methods of providing for placement of a golf ball at a desired elevation above the ground during play of the game of golf. As can be seen various attempts have been made to provide for a golf tee having structures to provide for the user to establish an elevational height relative to the ground. These attempts have been less efficient than desired. As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a simple, sturdy, dependable, accurate, adjustable height golf tee where the user may quickly and easily establish a height setting on the golf tee and where that established height setting remains undisturbed during storage and transport of the adjustable height golf tee. The present invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
   SUMMARY 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known methods of regulating elevational placement of golf balls above the ground during play of the game of golf, your applicants have devised a height adjustable golf tee to support a golf ball above the ground at a user selectable elevation during play of the game of golf. The height adjustable golf tee has a tee portion and a height regulating portion. The tee portion has a golf ball placement end, a spike end and a placement zone. The golf ball placement end has a golf ball support area to contact the golf ball to retain the golf ball relative to the tee portion where the golf ball is retained at a desired elevational position above the ground during the play of the game of golf. The spike end penetrates the ground while the height adjustable golf tee is supporting the golf ball above the ground during play of the game of golf. The placement zone is positioned between the spike end and the golf ball placement end. The height regulating portion slidably engaging the tee portion along the placement zone. The height regulating portion has a ground contact side for placement relative to the ground during an insertion of the height adjustable golf tee into the ground during play of the game of golf. The height regulating portion has an adjustable position relative to the placement zone portion of the tee portion and a locking position relative to the placement zone portion of the tee portion. The adjustable position provides for the user to selectably move the height regulating portion along the placement zone to vary a spacing of the ground contact side of the height regulating portion relative to the golf ball support area of the tee portion and position the height regulating portion at any desired placement position along the placement zone of the tee portion. The locking position provides for the user to lock the ground contact side of the height regulating portion at a user selected placement position selected from any desired position along the placement zone of the tee portion. 
   Our invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in the particular combinations of them herein disclosed and it is distinguished from the prior art in these particular combinations of these structures for the useful functions specified. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide for a height adjustable golf tee where the user may adjust the height adjustable golf tee to select a height at which a golf ball positioned on the height adjustable golf tee will be retained above the ground during use. 
   Other objects include; 
   a) to provide for the height adjustable golf tee for be formed of just two (2) parts, a tee portion and an height regulating portion. 
   b) to provide for the two (2) parts of the height adjustable golf tee to be locked together where incidental disconnect may not readily occur. 
   c) to provide for the height adjustable golf tee to have an infinite range of adjustment along a placement zone where any desired elevational spacing, within an acceptable range for the height adjustable golf tee, may be selected by the user. 
   d) to provide for the height adjustable golf tee to have markings on the tee portion indicative of the elevation of a golf ball retained on the height adjustable golf tee from the ground. 
   e) to provide for the height regulating portion of the height adjustable golf tee to readily and easily be moved by the user along the tee portion while in an adjustable position relative to the tee portion. 
   f) to provide for the height regulating portion of the height adjustable golf tee to be securely retained on the tee portion while in a locking position relative to the tee portion. 
   g) to provide for the height regulating portion to be angularly offset relative to the tee portion while in the adjustable position relative to the tee portion where the user can easily and simply recognize that the height adjustable golf tee is in an adjustment orientation. 
   h) to provide for the height regulating portion to be generally perpendicular relative to an axis of the tee portion while in the locking position relative to the tee portion where the user can easily and simply recognize that the height adjustable golf tee is in a locked and set orientation. 
   i) to provide for the height adjustable golf tee to have a simple and easy toggle like transfer of the height regulating portion relative to the tee portion between the locking position and the adjustment position. 
   j) to provide for the height regulating portion to have a dual position passageway therethrough with a common exit opening on one side of height regulating portion and opposing identifiable openings on the opposing side of height regulating portion. 
   These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated the preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein; 
       FIG. 1   a  through  FIG. 1   c  are elevational views of an adjustable height golf tee in various functional orientations. 
       FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b  are elevational views of the adjustable height golf tee shown in  FIG. 1   b  and  FIG. 1   c  respectively with the facing half of the height regulating portion removed. 
       FIG. 3   a  is an elevational view of a tee portion of the adjustable height golf tee. 
       FIG. 3   b  is a top plan view of the tee portion shown in  FIG. 3   a.    
       FIG. 4   a  is a top plan view of the height regulating portion of the adjustable height golf tee. 
       FIG. 4   b  is an elevational view of the height regulating portion shown in  FIG. 4   a.    
       FIG. 4   c  is a bottom plan view of the height regulating portion shown in  FIG. 4   a  and  FIG. 4   b.    
       FIG. 5   a  through  FIG. 5   c  are elevational views of the adjustable height golf tee during assembly and in various assembly orientations. 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the tee portion of the adjustable height golf tee. 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the tee portion of the adjustable height golf tee. 
       FIG. 8   a  is an enlarged top plan view of the height regulating portion of the adjustable height golf tee. 
       FIG. 8   b  is an enlarged bottom plan view of the height regulating portion of the adjustable height golf tee. 
       FIG. 9   a  and  FIG. 9   b  are elevational views of the adjustable height golf tee deployed to support a golf ball above the ground and in alternative adjustment orientations. 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
   Many different height adjustable golf tees having features of the present invention are possible. The following description describes the preferred embodiment of select features of those height adjustable golf tees and various combinations thereof. These features may be deployed in various combinations to arrive at various desired working configurations of height adjustable golf tees. 
   Reference is hereafter made to the drawings where like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views. 
   Overview 
   A height adjustable golf tee  20 , or portions thereof, are depicted in the various views. Height adjustable golf tee  20  supports a golf ball  22  above ground  24  at a user, not shown in any of the various views, selectable elevational position, see  26  as example, during play of the game of golf. Height adjustable golf tee  20  has a tee portion  28  and a height regulating portion  30 . 
   Tee Portion 
   Tee portion  28  has a golf ball placement end  32 , a spike end  34  and a placement zone  36  situated between golf ball placement end  32  and spike end  34 . Golf ball placement end  32  has a golf ball support area  38  which contacts golf ball  22  to retain golf ball  22  relative to tee portion  28  where golf ball  22  is retained at a desired elevational position  26  above ground  24  during the play of the game of golf. Spike end  34  penetrates ground  24  while height adjustable golf tee  20  is supporting golf ball  22  above ground  24  during play of the game of golf. Placement zone  36  is positioned between spike end  34  and golf ball placement end  32 . In the preferred embodiment depicted placement zone  36  has an axis  40  and a generally uniform shape  42  and dimensional sizing  44  along an entire length  46  of placement zone  36 . Placement zone  36  may have any desired cross section configuration desired. 
   If desired tee portion  28  may have markings  48  thereon to indicate to the user a spacing from ground  24  which golf ball  22  will be positioned for at least select adjustment positions of height regulating portion  30  along placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . These marking may be mere marks or may include actual measurements or may include notations indicative of a certain golf club type.  FIG. 3   a  depict a series of markings  48  along placement zone  36  of tee portion  28  indicative of a measurement spacing of golf ball support area  38  of tee portion  28  relative to ground  24  when spike end  34  of tee portion  28  of height adjustable golf tee  20  is inserted in ground  24  during the play of the game of golf. The measurement spacing of golf ball support area  38  relative to ground  24  regulated by placement of height regulating portion  30  at a placement position  50  of height regulating portion  30  relative to placement zone  36  of tee portion  28  selected by the user. 
   Many configurations are known in the art for the actual golf ball contact surface(s) of tees and any of these may be utilized with the present invention. Examples include those conventional radially contacting dimpled configurations, those having spaced contacting surfaces in general radial orientations, those having flexible member(s) extending upward, such as brush tees, and those having hinged portions where the ball contacting portion pivots during usage. 
   Preferably tee portion  28  will be formed by an injection molding process from a plastic material. Conventional plastic tees are routinely molded utilizing deep cavity molds where the shaft of the tee has a slight taper therealong to permit release from the mold during manufacture. Tee portion  28  is ideally molded utilizing opposing molds having symmetrically configured cavities. This arrangement permits a uniform dimensional sizing of at least placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . 
   Height Regulating Portion 
   Height regulating portion  30  slidably engages tee portion  28  along placement zone  36 . Height regulating portion  30  has a ground contact side  54  for placement relative to ground  24  during an insertion of height adjustable golf tee  20  into ground  24  during play of the game of golf. Height regulating portion  30  slidably engages tee portion  28  along placement zone  36  for user selectable placement in any desired position within an infinite number of adjustment locations limited only by precision of measurement restrictions. Height regulating portion  30  has an adjustable position  52  relative to placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 , see  FIG. 1   b . Adjustable position  52  provides for the user to be able to selectably move height regulating portion  30  along placement zone  36  to vary a placement position, see example  50  in  FIG. 1   b  and  FIG. 1   c , of ground contact side  54  of height regulating portion  30  relative to golf ball support area  38  of tee portion  28  and position height regulating portion  30  at any desired placement position along placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . 
   Height regulating portion  30  has a dual position passageway  58  therethrough to receive a portion  60  of tee portion  28  corresponding to placement zone  36 . Dual position passageway  58  provides for user selective transfer of height regulating portion  30  relative to placement zone  36  of tee portion  28  between the opposing positions, adjustable position  52  and a locking position  62 . The respective placement position selected and utilized of height regulating portion  30  along placement zone  36  of tee portion  28  may be selected at any position along placement zone  36  by the user from an infinite number of adjustment locations limited only by precision of measurement restrictions. 
   In the preferred embodiment depicted dual position passageway  58  has a common exit opening  64  on one side of height regulating portion  30  and opposing identifiable openings  66  and  68 , best shown in  FIG. 8   a , on the opposing side of height regulating portion  30 . Common exit opening  64  and opening  66  define a sliding passageway  70 , best shown in  FIG. 8   a  and  FIG. 8   b , through height regulating portion  30  which has a uniform shape  72  and dimensional sizing  74  along an entire length  76  of sliding passageway  70  which permits a ready and easy sliding movement of height&#39; regulating portion  30  by the user along portion  60  of tee portion  28  corresponding to placement zone  36 . This orientation between height regulating portion  30  and tee portion  28  is adjustable position  52 . Preferably, while in adjustable position  52  this contact between height regulating portion  30  and tee portion  28  is tight enough to prevent free unbiased movement of height regulating portion  30  along tee portion  28  while permitting easy movement therealong by the user when manipulating the parts to deliberately move height regulating portion  30  relative to tee portion  28 . Common exit opening  64  and opening  68  define a locking passageway  78 , best shown in  FIG. 8   a  and  FIG. 8   b , through height regulating portion  30  which has a uniform shape  80  and dimensional sizing  82  along a portion  84  of locking passageway  78  which permits a tight and secure engagement of height regulating portion  30  relative to tee portion  28 . This orientation between height regulating portion  30  and tee portion  28  is locking position  62 . Preferably while in locking position  62  this contact between height regulating portion  30  and tee portion  28  is tight enough to prevent all unbiased movement of height regulating portion  30  along tee portion  28  and most movement which might be biased by contact with other equipment during transport of height adjustable golf tee  20 . Adjustable position  52  of height regulating portion  30  relative to placement zone  36  of tee portion  28  places ground contact side  54  of height regulating portion  30  at an angular offset  86  relative to axis  40  of placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . Locking position  62  of height regulating portion  30  relative to placement zone  36  of tee portion  28  places ground contact side  54  of height regulating portion  30  generally perpendicular relative to axis  40  of placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . Sliding passageway  70  and locking passageway  78  may have any desired cross section configuration desired. If desired the cross section configuration of placement zone  36  and sliding passageway  70  may cooperate to prevent rotation of height regulating portion  30  relative to tee portion  28 . Such shapes may include true round, oval, and more elaborate shapes. 
   Height regulating portion  30  has a dedicated gripping guide  88  positioned on an exterior  90  thereof. Gripping guide  88  provides for the user to readily identify how to hold height adjustable golf tee  20  during transfer from locking position  62  to adjustable position  52  to indicate to the user a pressure direction  92  to bias height regulating portion  30  in during transfer from locking position  62  to adjustable position  52 . Due to the preferred angular offset of height regulating portion  30  relative to tee portion  28  while in adjustable position  52  such guidance is typically not required during transfer from adjustable position  52  to locking position  62 . 
   Operation 
   Height regulating portion has adjustable position  52 , or orientation, relative to portion  60  corresponding to placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . Height regulating portion has locking position  62 , or orientation, relative to portion  60  corresponding to placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . Adjustable position  52  provides for the user to selectably move height regulating portion  30  along the infinite number of adjustment locations within placement zone  36  to vary the spacing of ground contact side  54  of height regulating portion  30  relative to golf ball support area  38  of tee portion  28  and position height regulating portion  30  at any desired placement position, such as  50  shown in  FIG. 9   a  or  94  shown in  FIG. 9   b , along placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . Locking position  62  provides for the user to selectably lock ground contact side  54  of height regulating portion  30  at a user selected spacing, such as  56  shown in  FIG. 9   a  or  94  shown in  FIG. 9   b , selected from any desired position along placement zone  36  of tee portion  28 . 
   Assembly of Height Adjustable Golf Tee 
   In the preferred embodiment depicted structural configurations of the parts provide for the parts to be locked together where incidental disconnect may not readily occur. Various structures may be deployed to provide this feature. Ideally, height regulating portion  30  and tee portion  28  will be configured so that easy assembly of the parts may occur while securely retaining the parts together subsequent to assembly. Locking means, such as the dimensional sizing of portions of height regulating portion  30  and tee portion  28  will provide this feature where incidental release is prevented where height adjustable golf tee  20  remains a functional device while being transported between uses to retain golf ball  22  at desired elevational position  26  above ground  24  during the play of the game of golf. A slightly larger size  96  of tee portion  28  at/near an end  98  of spike end  34  than size  44  of tee portion  28  along lacement zone  36  of tee portion  28  provides this desired locking when combined with a maximum size  100  of a collective passageway  102  through height regulating portion  30 . 
     FIG. 5   a  through  FIG. 5   c  depict assembly of height adjustable golf tee  20 . Height regulating portion  30  has sliding passageway  70  therethrough to engage placement zone  36  of tee portion  28  subsequent to assembly.  FIG. 5   a  depicts placement of height regulating portion  30  relative to tee portion  28  at the beginning of the installation procedure. Spike end  34  of tee portion  28  has a configuration  104  which may not readily pass through sliding passageway  70  of height regulating portion  30 . A press, as conventionally known and not depicted, applies a pressure to height regulating portion  30  to forcefully move height regulating portion  30  over configuration  104  of spike end  34  of tee portion  28 , see transfer from  FIG. 5   a  to  FIG. 5   b  to  FIG. 5   c , where spike end  34  of tee portion  28  is forced through sliding passageway  70  of height regulating portion  30  during assembly of height adjustable golf tee  20 . 
   With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, material, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
   Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.