Patent Publication Number: US-6988646-B2

Title: Golf tee holder

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/482,869, filed Jun. 27, 2003. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to carriers, and more specifically, the invention relates to holders for safely carrying an easily accessible supply of golf tees around a golf course. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   It is a common practice for golfers to carry a supply of golf tees with them as they cover a golf course. A number of devices have been designed heretofore for the purpose of conveniently carrying golf tees in a safe and quickly accessible fashion on a golfer&#39;s person or equipment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,839 issued Dec. 22, 1992 to Frisbie teaches a golf tee holder in the form of a group of short flexible tubes that receive the shanks of standard golf tees in a gentle force fit. The tubes are gathered into a cluster and bound with copper wire and inserted within a cap including a snap hook or key ring at the closed end of the cap. In addition, the tubes can be integrally molded with a more rigid triangular plastic body with the tubes extending on parallel axes from the longest side of the triangular plastic body for receiving the tees. A strap is provided on the body for attaching the device over the belt of a user. 
   In the U.S. Pat. No. 2,112,339 issued Mar. 29, 1938 to Kasparek a rubber support body is provided with pairs of holes for receiving the stem of golf tees. A strap for securing the device to a belt, strap, or handle is provided. The strap is integrally formed with the body and includes an opening through which the body can pass to form a loop. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,615 issued Feb. 12, 1985 to Johnson teaches a method of removably transporting golf tees wherein the golf tee holder is in the form of a pair flexible VELCRO™ strips. One strip is adhesively attachable to a person&#39;s clothing, golf bag, cart or other objects. Golf tees are pushed between the strips where they are held until removed for use. 
   None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a golf tee holder solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The golf tee holder according to the present invention is provided holder in the form of a generally flat corrugated plastic body of a selected shape having a longitudinal axis. The corrugation of the body being in the form of walls connected between the front panel and back panel of the plastic body that extend in a direction traverse the longitudinal axis of the plastic body. The walls form channels there between that open along both side edges of the body. Each channel is sized to resiliently retain the shaft of a conventional golf tee. An eyelet is provided adjacent one end of the body for receiving a hook or ring for attaching the body to the belt of a golfer, a golf bag, or any other suitable golf equipment such as a golf cart key for example. In a modification of the golf tee holder a clipboard-type clamp is affixed thereto in place of the eyelet for further securing a golf scorecard and writing implement to the holder. The hook or ring is received in one of the circular finger tabs of the clamp. 
   Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a golf tee holder having means for attaching the holder to the belt of a golfer, a golf bag, a golf cart key, or other pieces of golf equipment where the golf tees can be readily available for use. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a golf tee holder in a variety of ornamental shapes and sizes that securely holds a plurality of golf tees during the jostling encountered during play on a golf course. 
   It is a further object of the invention to provide a golf tee holder that eliminates the risk of golfers being poked in the finger by the sharp point of a golf tee when retrieving loose tees from a pocket of one&#39;s clothing during a round of golf. 
   It is an additional object of the invention to provide a golf tee holder wherein the means for attaching the holder to a golfer&#39;s belt, etc., is provided in the form of a clamp that also conveniently holds a golf scorecard and a writing implement. 
   It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
   These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a golf tee holder according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the golf tee holder according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the golf tee holder according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the golf tee holder according to the present invention including a clipboard-type clamp for securing a golf scorecard and a writing implement to the holder. 
   

   Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention provides a golf tee holder in the form of a generally flat plastic body  20  that may be cut or stamped from a corrugated sheet into any desired shape. A longitudinal axis of the body  20  traverses the direction of corrugation  30  of the sheet. 
   The corrugation  30  is preferably in the form of perpendicular walls  23  between the front panel  21  and back panel  22  of the plastic body  20 . This arrangement forms channels  24  opening along both side edges of the body  20  for receiving the shafts of conventional golf tees  40 . 
   The plastic material of body  20  is selected such that the walls  23  resiliently retain the shafts of golf tees  40  within the channels during the jostling encountered during rounds on golf courses. 
   As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , an eyelet  25  is provided in the body  20  adjacent one end of the body  20  along the longitudinal axis of the body  20 . The eyelet  25  is preferably formed of a suitable metal material. A ring or hook  26  is provided that may be used for attaching holder body  20  to a belt, a golf bag, or any other suitable piece of golf equipment such as a golf cart key  27 , as shown by phantom lines in  FIG. 3 . 
   The front panel  21  and back panel  22  of body  20  have surfaces suitable for the printing of decorative displays and/or information thereon. 
   A preferred modification of the golf tee holder is depicted in  FIG. 4 . A clipboard-type clamp  50  is affixed adjacent one end of the body  20  on front panel  21  instead of eyelet  25  for conveniently securing a golf scorecard  60  and a writing implement  70  such as a pen or pencil to the holder body  20 . The clamp  50  preferably in the form of a commercially available type such as the metal “B6” clip available from American Acrylics Inc. of Chicago, Ill. As shown in  FIG. 4 , clamp  50  includes a base portion  51  and a clamping portion  53  spring-biased towards the base portion  51 . Base portion  51  is formed with a loop portion  52  and/or pair of rivet holes  54 . Clamping portion  53  is also formed with a loop portion  55 . Loop portions  52  and  55  can be engaged by the fingers of a hand to operate the clamp  50 . Hook or ring  26  is received within one of the loop portions of the clamp  50 . Clamp  50  is preferably secured to holder body  20  by a suitable adhesive bonding process, thermal-bonding process or by rivets. Any suitable and commercially available clips or combination devices for clamping paper and holding a writing implement may replace the above-described clamp. 
   It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.