Abstract:
Multiple molded polymeric panels are mechanically fastened together in a lengthwise configuration with a backboard at one end opposite the starting position for a putting stroke. Each panel has a planar top surface and a bottom integral grid supporting structure. The side edges of the panels are raised and the panels are attached together end to end. A simulated grass overlies the joined panels and a receptacle for receiving a golf ball is provided in one panel. A first carrying case contains the panels and backboard and a second carrying case contains the simulated grass and simulated flag stick.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to practice golf putting greens. More particularly, it refers to a portable lengthwise putting green wherein sectional panels are held together by mechanical locking features. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The expanding interest in golf has created a demand for golf practice tools, particularly putting greens. The ability to putt accurately distinguishes the ordinary golfer from the skilled golfer. With an interest in improving golf putting skills, the portable golf putting green of U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,803 was developed. Although the portable golf putting green described in this patent has been commercially accepted and serves its intended purpose, a need exists for variations that suit particular markets. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention of this application is a series of one piece sectional polymeric panels attachable by locking features to adjacent panels in a lengthwise direction. The lengthwise fastened together panels are covered by a simulated grass layer to create a putting surface simulating a putting green. The one piece sectional polymeric panels are prepared by compression, blow, injection or other molding process to prepare a smooth, planar top surface integral with a bottom grid structure. Locking features are mounted at an end of each panel juxtaposed to an adjacent polymeric panel. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a cut-away perspective view of the polymeric panel of this invention showing front edge trim placement. 
     FIG. 2 is a cut-away perspective view of the polymeric panel of FIG. 1 with the edge trim in place covered with simulated grass. 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the polymeric panel of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of two cut-away polymeric panels showing a first locking mechanism. 
     FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a portion of the polymeric panels of FIG. 5 locked together. 
     FIG. 6B is a sectional view of a portion of the polymeric panels of FIG. 5 locked together showing the locating pin. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a rear polymeric panel showing a ball cup placement and placement of a backboard. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the portion of the rear polymeric panel of FIG. 7 with the cup and backboard in position. 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the polymeric panel of FIG. 8 showing the backboard attachment. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the portable golf putting practice green with a first locking mechanism. 
     FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a polymeric panel with a filler block at each side edge. 
     FIG. 12 is a cut-away view of a polymeric panel with an installed filler block. 
     FIG. 13 is a cut-away view of two adjacent polymeric panels with a second locking mechanism in exploded view. 
     FIG. 14 is a cut-away view of two joined polymeric panels of FIG. 13 with the second locking mechanism. 
     FIG. 15 is a cut-away view of a rear polymeric panel showing an alternate attachment to the backboard. 
     FIG. 16 is a cut-away view of a rear polymeric panel of FIG. 14 showing the backboard attached with a second locking mechanism. 
     FIG. 17 is a cut-away view of a third locking mechanism for joining two polymeric panels. 
     FIG. 18 is a cut-away view of the third locking mechanism joining two polymeric panels. 
     FIG. 19 is a cut-away view of a fourth locking mechanism for joining two polymeric panels. 
     FIG. 20 is a cut-away view of the locking mechanism of FIG.  19 . 
     FIG. 21 is a sectional view of the fourth locking mechanism along line  21 — 21  of FIG.  20 . 
     FIG. 22 is a cut-away view of the portable golf putting practice green with a chipping station. 
     FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a molded polymeric or foam insert for inserting under simulated grass around a cup. 
     FIG. 24 is a bottom view of the molded polymeric or foam insert of FIG.  23 . 
     FIG. 25 is an exploded view of the molded polymeric or foam insert of FIG. 23 being mounted on a top surface of a front panel. 
     FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the carrying cases for a three panel unit and simulated turf. 
     FIG. 27 is a cut-away perspective view of a rear panel employing a ball return. 
     FIG. 28 is a view of the means of attaching the ball return receptacle to a side of the polymeric panel. 
     FIG. 29 is a sectional view along line  29 — 29  of FIG.  27 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
     Referring first to FIG. 10, the portable practice green  10  is a lengthwise unit having three panels mechanically locked together. Two panels or four or more panels could be used alternatively. Each panel is a polymeric unit having a flat top surface portion and an integral grid bottom portion. A front panel  22  usually has a cup  14  for receipt of putted golf balls and a ball remover stand  16 . A middle panel  18  is attached by a locking mechanism  20  to front panel  22  and back panel  12 . The attached panels are covered by a simulated grass  24 . 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the front edge portion  30  of panel  22  has a trim piece  26  attached to the edge portion  30  by a two sided sticky tape  28 . The panel has rolled raised edges  32  on each side. As seen in FIG. 2, the simulated grass  24  fits into trim piece  26  to give a clean front edge portion  30  to panel  22 . The grid structure  34  integral with the flat top  36  of panel  22  supports the panel as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. A hole  38  in side edge  32  is adapted for receipt of locking hardware as seen in FIGS. 5,  6 A and  6 B. A block  40  molded in with the grid structure can receive a locating pin or threaded fastener. 
     A first locking mechanism  42  as seen in FIGS. 6,  6 A and  6 B has a bar  44  pivoting at a first end with a groove at a second end portion engaging the shaft  48  of threaded fastener  50  to lock polymeric panels  18  and  22  together. Pins  52  in polymeric panel  18  engage holes  54  in polymeric panel  22  prior to completing the locking step. The pin  52  can be aluminum, plastic or steel and the bar  44  is aluminum, plastic or steel. 
     A backboard  56  is attached by a pair of threaded fasteners  58  to a front end  60  of front panel  22  as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. The golf ball receiving cup  14  is molded into front polymeric panel  22 . A hole  64  in cup  14  receives a terminal ring  66  at the end of a simulated flag stick  68 . A cup ring  70  provides a neat edge to cup  14 . 
     FIGS. 11-14 describe a second means of fastening the polymeric panels together by forming a groove  72  at an edge of each polymeric panel. As seen in FIG. 13, a metal bracket  74  fits into grooves  72  and is held in place by fasteners such as bolts  76 . When the groove  72  is not juxtaposed to an adjoining polymeric panel, a filler block  78  is placed in groove  72 . Groove  72  of panel  22 A can be used to receive an L-bracket  80  attached to a backboard  56 A. This provides an alternate manner of attaching the backboard  56 A to a front polymeric panel  22 A. 
     FIGS. 17 and 18 show a third means of locking two polymeric panels together. A slot  82  is formed in a rolled side  32 A. In addition, a portion of a bottom edge  84  of side  32  is cut-away and a side slot  81  formed to permit insertion on both an inner and outer bottom edge of side  32 A of a U-shaped plate  86 . Threaded fasteners  88  pass through holes  90  in plate  86  and through slot  82  to join two polymeric panels together. 
     FIGS. 19-21 show a fourth means of locking two panels together. A cammed S-hook  92  is mounted in a side slot  96  of a polymeric panel side  98 . By turning an alien wrench  94 , after sides  98  and  100  are brought together, the S-hook  92  engages a back edge  102  in opposite slot  104 . Rivets  106  hold the respective components in place. Each of side  98  and  100  has one S-hook and each side has a complimentary slot  104  with a back edge  104  to receive an S-hook  92 . 
     A chipping platform  108  as shown in FIG. 22 provides an area separated from practice green  10  so that a golf ball can be chipped onto the practice green  10 . The chipping platform  108  is made in the manner of the polymeric panels in the practice green  10 . 
     Each polymeric panel unit  12 ,  18  and  22  is compression molded, blow molded or injection molded with a grid structure  34  on a bottom portion integral with a planar top surface  36 . Other types of molding of the polymeric panels that can be used include low pressure flow molding, rotational molding, structural foam injection molding and reaction injection molding. Synthetic turf or carpet made of wool fibers or polymer fibers can be used for the simulated grass surface  24  of the putting training green  10  and is laid point to point at the base of the rolled edges  32  and to the trim piece  26 . A thicker rug carpet is used on the chipping platform  108  shown in FIG. 22 to simulate a typical chipping surface. The chipping platform  108  is molded in the same manner as the polymeric panels  12 ,  18  and  22  and has a planar top surface integral with a bottom grid structure. 
     The polymer employed in the molding and creation of the polymeric panels  12 ,  18  and  22  or the chipping platform  108  can be any of the high strength polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene and co-polymers thereof and structural foams such as made from polyurethane. 
     A raised pad  110  having a hole  112  conforming to cup hole  14  has contour lines  114  as seen in FIG.  23 . This pad  110  is placed under the simulated grass  24  in panel  22 B to provide an additional putting challenge to the golfer and more realistically simulate an actual putting surface. The pad  110  has a bottom shallow grid surface  116  and downwardly descending pins  118  to engage holes  120  on panel  22 B. 
     The portable practice green  10  can be easily disassembled and carried away in a first carrying case  121 . The three panels  12 ,  18  and  22  and backboard  56  of FIG. 10 are placed vertically within carrying case  121 . The simulated turf  24  is rolled up and placed into a second carrying case  122  along with the flag stick  68 , all as seen in FIG.  26 . 
     As an auxiliary aid to the golfer, an optional ball return feature can be incorporated as seen in FIGS. 27-29. A ball trough  124  is molded into grid  34 . A switch  126  can lead to a battery to activate sound to show that a golf ball passed over switch  126 . The trough  124  leads to a ball return receptacle  128  mounted on a rolled side edge  32 A. A hole  130  in side edge  32 A allows the golf ball to exit the trough and land in receptacle  128 . The receptacle  128  can be mounted on side edge  32 A on nipples  132  by engagement with openings  134 . 
     The above description has described specific structural details employing the invention. However, it will be within one having skill in the art to make modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept of this portable golf putting training green. The invention is not limited to the structure described but includes such modifications as are substantially equivalent to the elements of the golf putting training green.