Abstract:
A golf club includes a head having a golf ball retriever integrated into the head. The retriever comprises a substantially vertical and substantially frusto conical passage (or throat) radially enclosed in the bottom the head. Because variations exist in regulation golf ball size and exterior, the diameter and taper of the throat is selected to be suitable for a variety of golf balls. A release hole extends though the head from the throat to a top surface of the head, and allows easy ejection of a ball from the throat. The head further includes aligning (or aiming) marks on opposite sides of the release hole to facilitate aligning the head for a stroke.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a ball retriever and in particular to a putter head including an integral ball retriever and ball aligning marks.  
         [0002]     The game of golf is enjoyed by many youths, adults, and senior citizens. Some of the main benefits of golf are the enjoyment of the outdoors and improved health from remaining active as one ages. Unfortunately, as one ages, various old age maladies such as arthritis and rheumatism limit the ability to bend over, such as bending over to retrieve a golf ball from, for example, the putting green or from the inside of the cup.  
         [0003]     Several golf ball retrievers are known.. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,722,519 for “Device for Retrieving Golf Balls,” U.S. Pat. No. 1,830,520 for “Device for Picking Up Golf Balls and Like Articles,” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,488 for “Portable Golf Ball Retriever,” all describe a device with a shaft and a grasping member on the end of the shaft for retrieving golf balls. Unfortunately, a dedicated retriever adds to the articles carried by a golfer, and has not been generally accepted by golfers for retrieving golf balls. Other devices attach to the grip end of golf clubs, but have been found to interfere with gripping the club.  
         [0004]     Other known solutions comprise golf clubs with features included for retrieving golf balls. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,784 for “Golf Club Including Ball Retrieving Devices,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,259 for “Golf Putter,” describe golf clubs which scoop up a golf ball. Unfortunately, such scooping often results in a frustrating series of motions which fail to retrieve the ball or may damage the edges of the cup or hole by pressing against the edge to scoop the ball. U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,027 for “Golf Ball Retrieving Club,” describes a club with a hemispherical cavity on the clubs bottom, which cavity is intended to grasp a golf ball when the cavity of forced over the golf ball. The gasping depends on the precise interference fit between golf ball holders along the mouth of the cavity and the golf ball. Unfortunately, golf balls have some variation in size and surface, and the dependence on the precise interference fit is only suitable for a particular size ball.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,112 for “Golf Ball Retrieving Club,” describes a club with a tapered cavity having an opening to the rear. The tapered throat has a taper of “a few thousandths of an inch.” The taper is thus described only in generalities, and no specific dimensions suitable for known golf balls are provided. Unfortunately, because of the variation in known golf balls, and because of the requirements for a suitable interference fit, a small range of diameter and taper is required to achieve a useful device, and such is not disclosed in the &#39;112 patent. Further, because the club of the &#39;112 patent describes a large gap at the rear of the throat, only a single aligning (or aiming) mark may be provided for aligning the club with the ball. Additionally, the entry of the ball into the throat is not limited, and therefore the ball may be seated too deep in the throat and be difficult to remove, or the ball may push through the throat and be difficult to retrieve.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a golf club which includes a head having a golf ball retriever integrated into the head. The retriever comprises a substantially vertical and substantially frusto conical passage (or throat) radially enclosed in the bottom the head. Because variations exist in regulation golf ball size and exterior, the diameter and taper of the throat is selected to be suitable for a variety of golf balls. A release hole extends though the head from the throat to a top surface of the head, and allows easy ejection of a ball from the throat. The head further includes aligning (or aiming) marks on opposite sides of the release hole to facilitate aligning the head for a stroke.  
         [0007]     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a golf club with a golf ball retriever integrated into the golf club head. The golf club includes a radially enclosed, substantially frusto conical, and substantially vertical throat, a release opening substantially horizontally centered on the throat and extending through the head from the throat to a top surface of the head, and aligning marks on opposite sides of the release opening. The aligning marks comprise lines residing on a top surface of the club, approximately centered with respect to the face, and approximately orthogonal to the face. The lines comprise a first line residing between the release opening and the face and a second mark on an opposite side of the release opening.  
         [0008]     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a golf club with a golf ball retriever integrated into the golf club head. The golf ball retriever comprises a radially enclosed, substantially frusto conical, and substantially vertical throat and a release opening substantially horizontally centered and extending through the head from the throat to a top surface of the head. The throat is between approximately 1.680 inches and approximately 1.685 inches in diameter and between approximately 0.825 inches and approximately 0.850 inches deep, and having between approximately 1 degree taper and approximately 1.5 degree taper down from a mouth of the throat. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]     The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a golf club head with an integrated golf ball retriever according to the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the golf club head in a golf cup.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3A  is a top view of the golf club head.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3B  is a bottom view of the golf club head.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3C  is a front (or face) view of the golf club head.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3D  is a rear view of the golf club head.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3E  is a side view of the golf club head.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3D . 
     
    
       [0018]     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a golf club head  10  with an integrated golf ball retriever according to the present invention. The head  10  is attached to a shaft  12  and includes aligning (or aiming) marks  16  and  17  which reside on a top surface  10   a  of the head  10 . The head  10  is further preferably a putter head. A top view of the golf club head  10  in a golf cup  14  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Advantageously, the head  10  fits within the cup  14  to allow a golf ball to be retrieved from the cup  14 .  
         [0021]     A top view of the golf club head  10  is shown in  FIG. 3A , a bottom view of the head  10  is shown in  FIG. 3B , a front (or face) view of the head  10  is shown in  FIG. 3C , a rear view of the head  10  is shown in  FIG. 3D , and a side view of the head  10  is shown in  FIG. 3E . The head  10  has an overall width W 1 , an overall length L 1 , and a height H. The width W 1  is preferably between approximately 2.96 inches and approximately 2.98 inches, and is more preferably approximately 2.97 inches. The height H is preferably between approximately 0.94 inches and approximately 0.96 inches, and is more preferably approximately 0.95 inches.  
         [0022]     The head  10  includes a face  22  for striking a golf ball. The face  22  is preferably rectangular, and preferably leans back at an angle A for adding a small amount of lift to the golf ball. The angle A is preferably between approximately one degree and approximately 1.5 degrees, and is more preferably approximately one degree. The lower edge of the face  22  is preferably radiused with a radius R 2  to reduce or prevent catching the head  10  on a grass surface during a swing. The radius R 2  us preferably approximately ⅛ inches. The face  22  had a depth L 2 , which L 2  is preferably between approximately 0.55 inches and approximately 0.58 inches and is more preferably approximately 0.58 inches. The head  10  has a narrow portion  26  behind the face  22 , wherein the narrow portion  26  flairs out to the overall width W 1  with radius R 1 , which radius R 1  is preferably approximately 5/16 inches.  
         [0023]     A shaft hole  20  resides on a top surface  10   a  of the head  10 , and receives the shaft  12 . The shaft hole  20  has a diameter D 2  adapted for standard shafts, and the diameter D 2  is preferably approximately 0.37 inches with a depth of approximately 0.5 inches, but may be any diameter suitable for receiving a shaft  12 . The shaft hole  20  is preferably centered approximately between approximately 0.29 inches and approximately 0.31 inches from the face  22 , and more preferably approximately 0.3 inches from the face  22 , and approximately 0.550 inches inboard from the side of the head  10 . The shaft hole  20  may be on a left side of the head  10  for a right handed golfer, or on the right side of the head  10  for a left handed golfer. The shaft  20  is preferably held in the shaft hole  20  by epoxy adhesive. The shaft hole  20  may be orthogonal to the top surface  10   a  and the shaft  12  is curved as needed, or the shaft hole  20  may be angled. A mouth  24  in a bottom surface  10   b  of the head  10  is provided to allow a golf ball to enter a throat  20  (see  FIG. 4 ) of the head  10 . The mouth  24  is preferably between approximately 1.68 inches and approximately 1.685 inches in diameter, and is more preferably 1.68 inches in diameter.  
         [0024]     A release opening  18  is provided in a top surface  10   a  of the head  10  to allow a user to release a golf ball retrieved by the head  10 . The release opening  18  has a diameter D 1  sufficiently large to allow a thumb and/or finger and/or golf Tee to be inserted into and/or through the release opening  18  to apply pressure to a golf ball retrieved by the head  10  and the diameter D 1  is preferably substantially smaller than the diameter of the throat  28  (see  FIG. 4 ) to provide a limit to the advance of a golf ball into the throat  26 . Thus limiting the advance of the golf ball into the throat  28  prevents the ball from being seated too deep within the throat  28  making removing the ball difficult, and preventing the ball from pushing through the throat making retrieving the ball difficult. The diameter D 1  is preferably is between ⅓ and ½ of the diameter of the throat, and more preferably between approximately 0.7 inches and approximately 0.75 inches, and D 1  is most preferably approximately 0.7 inches.  
         [0025]     The aligning marks  16  and  17  preferably comprise lines residing on the top surface  10   a  of the head  10  and are preferably approximately centered with respect to a face  22  of the club head  10 , and approximately orthogonal to the face  22 . The aligning marks  16  and  17  preferably comprise a first line  16  residing between the face  22  and the release opening  18  and a second line  17  on an opposite side of the release opening  18 . The lines are preferably notches in the top surface  10   a,  and more preferably a “V” notch between approximately 0.04 inches and 0.05 inches deep and preferably approximately 50 degrees wide. The lines  16  and  17  are preferably aligned with the center of the release opening  18  and preferably aligned with each other.  
         [0026]     A cross-sectional view of the golf club head  10  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3D  is shown in  FIG. 4 . The throat  28  is substantially frusto conical and substantially vertical and is preferably radially enclosed (i.e., forms a complete circle with no gaps). Although the throat  28  need not be perfectly frusto conical, it is sufficiently frusto conical to function as a frusto conical throat would function in terms of grasping a golf ball. Similarly, the throat  28  need not be exactly vertical, but is sufficiently vertical to allow a vertical motion of the head  10  to move the throat  18  down over a golf ball. The throat  28  is further preferably horizontally centered on the face  22  (see  FIG. 3B ).  
         [0027]     The throat  28  has a first throat diameter  28   a  proximal to the mouth  24 , and a second throat diameter  28   b  proximal to the release opening  18 . Modern regulation golf balls have a small range is diameters and may have different surface characteristics. In order to grasp such golf balls, the throat  28  preferably has a diameter and taper which allow entry of the balls into the throat  28 , and which provides a friction fit sufficient to retain the balls in the throat  28 . The first throat diameter  28   a  is preferably between approximately 1.675 inches and approximately 1.69 inches in diameter, and is more preferably approximately 1.68 inches in diameter. The second throat diameter  28   b  is preferably between approximately 1.68 inches and approximately 1.685 inches in diameter, and is more preferably approximately 1.675 inches in diameter. The throat  28  is preferably tapers down from the first throat diameter  28   a  to the second throat diameter  28   b  at between an approximately 1 degree taper and an approximately 1.5 degree taper, and more preferably tapers down at approximately one degree of taper. The throat  18  is preferably between approximately 0.775 inches and approximately 0.8 inches deep.  
         [0028]     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.