Patent Publication Number: US-2020283966-A1

Title: Teeing ground protective mat

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The embodiments disclosed herein relate to protective mats, and in particular to devices and methods for covering and protecting a grass surface during tee shots while allowing the access of water, nutrients, air and sunlight to the grass surface and allowing the ground to evapotranspirate. 
     INTRODUCTION 
     The performance of tee shots can result in damage to the grass surface in proximity of the tee due to errant swings causing a golf club head to impact the grass surface and form divots. This is particularly true for novice golfers performing tee shots. 
     Existing protective mats, and the like, may substantially cover the grass surface and may deprive the grass of water, nutrients, air and sunlight. These protective mats must be removed, at least periodically, to allow the access of water, nutrients, air and sunlight to the grass surface and to allow for evapotranspiration of the ground. Furthermore, existing protective mats are relatively large, heavy, not easily portable and time consuming to construct and install. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a protective mat that can be easily transported and installed on a grass surface while allowing the access of water, nutrients, air and sunlight to the grass surface when the grass surface is covered by the mat. 
     SUMMARY 
     A mat is disclosed for covering and protecting a grass surface to withstand an impact of a golf club head during the performance of tee shots. The mat comprises a planar body rectangular in shape. The mat comprises at least one tee opening for receiving a golf tee. The at least one opening is positioned on a longitudinal center line of the planar body. 
     The planar body includes a plurality of gaps in the planar body for allowing access to the grass surface. Allowing access to the grass surface includes allowing evapotranspiration and the access of water, nutrients, air and sunlight to the grass surface. The plurality of gaps may be elliptical in shape or polygonal in shape having either three or four sides. The plurality of gaps form a lattice. The lattice provides structural integrity to the planar body. The lattice may cover approximately 30% to 50% of the grass surface beneath the mat. 
     The mat comprises a plurality of ground engagement members connected to the planar body for limiting movement of the golf mat from an impact of the golf club head and maintaining the planar body in contact with the grass surface. The ground engagement members may be contiguous with a bottom surface of the planar body. The ground engagement members may be contiguous with a subset of the plurality of gaps. The ground engagement members may include a spike, and may be driven into the grass surface to maintain the mat in substantially immovable contact with the grass surface. 
     The mat may be constructed of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fortified with UV stabilizers, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fortified without UV stabilizers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), acrylic, vinyl, Kevlar, or metal laminated in plastic. The mat may be manufactured by injection molding. The plurality of gaps, the at least one opening and the ground engagement members may be formed by a cutting process. 
     A method is disclosed to reduce damage to a grass surface during the performance of tee shots. The method comprises partially covering a grass surface while allowing the access of water, nutrients, air and sunlight to the grass surface. The grass surface may be partially covered by the mat described herein. The partially covered grass surface is substantially rectangular in shape. The longitudinal axis of the partially covered grass surface is oriented in the desired direction of the flight of the ball. 
     The method further comprises placing a tee within the partially covered grass surface and placing a golf ball on the tee. The method comprises standing adjacent to the partially covered area of grass. The method further comprises swinging a golf club to strike the ball off the tee such that the path travelled by the golf club head immediately prior to striking the ball is within the partially covered grass surface. The golf club is swung in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the partially covered grass surface. 
     Other aspects and features will become apparent, to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of some exemplary embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples of articles, methods, and apparatuses of the present specification. In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a mat for protecting a grass surface, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a side end view of the mat of  FIG. 1 , shown in relation to a grass surface, a golf tee and a golf ball; 
         FIG. 3  is a longitudinal side view of the mat of  FIG. 1 , shown in relation to a grass surface, a golf tee and a golf ball; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of a method to prevent damage to a grass surface during the performance of tee shots. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various apparatuses or processes will be described below to provide an example of each claimed embodiment. No embodiment described below limits any claimed embodiment and any claimed embodiment may cover processes or apparatuses that differ from those described below. The claimed embodiments are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , illustrated therein is a mat  100  for protecting a grass surface (shown shaded)  102  during the performance of tee shots, in accordance with an embodiment. The grass surface  102  may be a driving range, a tee box, a golf green, a lawn at home, or a park. 
     The mat  100  may be constructed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fortified with or without UV stabilizers. HDPE construction allows for the mat  100  to be relatively light-weight and easily portable while still being resilient in absorbing and/or deflecting the impact of a golf club head thereby preventing damage to the grass surface  102  that is covered by the mat  100 . A further advantage of HDPE construction is the mat  100  will not rust from moisture in the grass surface  102  and/or rain. The mat may also be constructed of other materials not limited to ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), LDPE, acrylic, vinyl, Kevlar, or metal laminated in plastic. 
     The mat  100  includes a planar body  104 . The planar body is rectangular in shape and includes a first side  106 , a second side  108 , a third side  110  and a fourth side  112 . The first side  106  and the third side  110  are opposable, and span the length of the planar body  104 . The second side  108  and the fourth side  112  are opposable, and span the width of the planar body  104 . The planar body  104  has dimensions of approximately 16 by 12 inches. The size of the planar body  104  ensures that only the area of the grass surface  102  that is likely to be struck by a golf club head during the performance of tee shots (i.e., the area of the grass surface  102  immediately behind and to either side of a tee relative to the direction of the tee shot) is covered by the mat  100 . 
     The planar body  104  includes a plurality of gaps, of which, a triangular gap  114   a  and a rhomboid gap  114   b  are shown in  FIG. 1 . The plurality of gaps  114   a ,  114   b  form a two-dimensional lattice  116  in the planar body  104 . It is advantageous for the planar body  104  to include a lattice  116 , as opposed to being solid, in order to minimize the surface area of the mat  100 , and allow access to the grass surface  102  on which the mat  100  is placed. Allowing access to the grass surface  102  includes allowing the access of water, nutrients, air and sunlight to the grass surface  102 . Water, nutrients, air and sunlight access the grass surface  102  via the plurality of gaps  114   a ,  114   b  in the lattice  116 . Thus, the mat  100  may be left covering the grass surface  102  for an extended period of time without starving the grass surface  102  of water, nutrients, air and sunlight. The plurality of gaps  114   a ,  114   b  further allow for evapotranspiration of the ground, thereby preventing the formation of condensation under the mat  100 . 
     Triangular gaps  114   a  in the planar body  104  result in the lattice  116  having repeating triangular units (i.e., a triangular unit is the portion of the lattice  116  that surrounds a triangular gap  114   a ). Triangles are an advantageous shape that provide structural integrity to the planar body  104 . The planar body  104  also includes rhomboid gaps  114   b . The rhomboid gaps  114   b  are approximately twice the size of triangular gaps  114   a . The use of rhomboid gaps  114   b  to supplement triangular gaps  114   a  reduces the overall surface area of the planar body  104  than if triangular gaps  114   a  are used solely. The reduction in surface area of the planar body  104 , promotes access to the grass surface  102  as described above. According to another embodiment, the planar body  104  may include only triangular gaps  114   a  forming a two-dimensional lattice (not shown). The plurality of gaps may have any appropriate shape. In certain embodiments the plurality of gaps may form a repeating pattern. The plurality of gaps may be elliptical in shape or polygonal in shape having either three or four sides. 
     Each of the plurality of gaps  114   a ,  114   b  are smaller than 1.5 square inches to prevent a golf club head from passing through the lattice  116  of the planar body  104  to contact the grass surface  102  during the performance of tee shots. Further, the plurality of gaps  114   a ,  114   b  are sufficiently small to prevent a golf club head from catching an edge of the gaps  114   a ,  114   b  and displacing the mat instead of absorbing and/or deflecting the energy imparted by a golf club head contacting the mat  100 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the planar body  104  includes at least one opening  118  for receiving a tee (not shown). The opening  118  is positioned on a longitudinal center line  120  of the planar body  104  and adjacent to the second side  108  and/or the fourth side  112  of the planar body  104 . 
     The planar body  104  may include two openings  118  for receiving tees. This double-ended arrangement may allow for further use of the mat, where one opening  118  for the tee is worn, the opposite opening  118  may be used. 
     According to another embodiment, the opening  118  may be equidistant from the second side  108  and the fourth side  112  and positioned in the center of the planar body  104  (not shown). The opening  118  is approximately the size of 5 rhomboid gaps  114   b  (or  10  triangular gaps  114   a ) but sufficiently small to prevent a golf club head from passing through the opening  118  to contact the grass surface  102  during the performance of tee shots. 
     The opening  118  is shaped as an elongated hexagon. The opening  118  allows for the mat  100  to move slightly in the event the mat  100  is struck before the ball without the mat  100  contacting the tee. If the opening  118  is too small, the mat  100 , when the ball/tee is struck, may contact the tee and may alter the tee shot. 
     The lattice  116  of the planar body  104  covers approximately 50% of the grass surface  102  beneath the mat  100  (and approximately 50% of the grass surface  102  beneath the mat  100  is within the plurality of gaps  114   a ,  144   b  and the opening  118 ). The size of the opening  118  and gaps  114   a ,  114   b  may be increased to the extent where the lattice  116  of the planar body  104  covers approximately 30% of the grass surface  102  beneath the mat  100 . This allows for further reduction in the surface area of the planar body  104  and increased access to the grass surface  102  while still maintaining the structural integrity of the planar body  104 . 
     The mat  100  includes a plurality of ground engagement members  122  connected to the planar body  104 . The ground engagement members  122  limit the movement of the mat  100  from an impact of a golf club head, and maintain the planar body  104  in contact with the grass surface  102 , as will be discussed in more detail below. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein the mat  100  is manufactured by a cutting process, the ground engagement members  122  are contiguous with the rhomboid gaps  114   b  adjacent to the opening  118 . The cutting process may be performed by a die cutter, a waterjet cutter, or a laser cutter. According to other embodiments wherein the mat  100  is manufactured by an injection molding process, the ground engagement members  112  are contiguous with a bottom surface of the mat  100  (not shown). 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , illustrated therein is the mat  100  of  FIG. 1 , as seen facing the second side  108  of the planar body  104 . The grass surface  102  includes a top  124  and a bottom  126 . The planar body  104  includes a bottom surface  128 . The bottom surface  128  of the planar body  104  rests on the bottom  126  of the grass surface  102 . The grass surface  102  may protrude through the gaps (i.e., gaps  114   a ,  114   b  in  FIG. 1 ) and the openings (i.e., openings  118  in  FIG. 1 ) in the planar body  104  so that the top  124  of the grass surface  102  may extend above the planar body  104  when the mat  100  is placed on the grass surface  102 . 
     The ground engagement members  122  are connected to the bottom surface  128  of the planar body  128  and extend downward away from the bottom surface  128 . The ground engagement members  122  may penetrate the bottom  126  of the grass surface  102  to become embedded in a ground  130  underlying the bottom  126  of the grass surface  102 . The frictional force of the ground  130  on the embedded ground engagement members  122  effectively anchors the mat  100  to the ground  130  and limits the movement of the mat  100  from the impact of a golf club head during tee shot performance. The ground engagement members  122  may be driven into the ground  130  by the application of a downward force  138  on the planar body  104 . To aid in ground penetration, the ground engagement members  122  may include a spike  132 . 
     For reference, the mat  100  is shown in relation to a golf ball  140  and a tee  142 . The tee  142  is positioned within the opening (i.e., opening  118  in  FIG. 1 ) in the planar body  104  and driven through the glass surface  102  and into the ground  130 . The tee  142  and the golf ball  140  may be positioned anywhere within the opening (i.e., opening  118  in  FIG. 1 ), but it is preferable to position the tee  142  along the longitudinal center line (i.e., longitudinal center line  120  in  FIG. 1 ) to minimize the potential for contact of the mat  100  against the tee  142  if a golf club (not shown) impacts the mat  100  prior to striking the ball  140 . During the performance of tee shots, a user (not shown) stands on an area  144  adjacent to the mat  100  to swing a golf club (not shown) to strike the golf ball  140  off the tee  142 . The area  144  may be adjacent to the first side (i.e. the first side  106  in  FIG. 1 ) or the third side (i.e., third side  110  in  FIG. 1 ) depending on the handedness of the user and the desired direction of the tee shot. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , illustrated therein is the mat  100  of  FIG. 1  as seen facing the first side  106  of the planar body  104 . Each ground engagement member  122  is connected to the bottom surface  128  of the planar body  104  at a point of connection  134 . The ground engagement members  122  extend downward from the point of connection  134  by initially curving toward a transverse center line  136  of the planar body  104 , and then curving downward away from the bottom surface  128  of the planar body  104 . Being curved, the ground engagement members  122  enter the ground  130  in a curved path thereby making it more difficult for the ground engagement members  122  to disengage from the ground  130  upon impact of a golf club head on the mat  100 . 
     The planar body  104  and the ground engagement members  122  are constructed together and then the ground engagement members  122  are bent into position. The ground engagement members  122  are connected to the bottom surface  128  of the planar body at the point of connection  134 . The ground engagement members  122  are formed into place, for example, by heating the ground engagement member  122  to a temperature close to the melting temperature of LDPE and then stamping or pressing the ground engagement member  122  down from the bottom surface  128  of the planar body  104  at the point of connection  134 . 
     According to an embodiment, the ground engagement members  122  may be perpendicular to the bottom surface  128  of the planar body  104  extending straight downward from the point of connection  134 . In another embodiment, the ground engagement members  122  may be one member, connected to one or more points of connection, that engages with the ground  130 . 
     There may be a plurality of ground engagement member  122  positioned proximate to the opening  118 . When the golfer takes a shot and impacts the mat  100 , the plurality of ground engagement members  122  may prevent twisting of the mat  100 , thereby still allowing for a possible shot. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 3 , during the performance of tee shots, the tee  142  and the golf ball  140  are positioned within the opening (i.e., opening  118  in  FIG. 1 ) that is adjacent to the side (i.e., the second side  108  or the fourth side  112  in  FIG. 1 ) of the planar body  104  that is closest to the desired direction of the tee shot. For example, if the desired direction of the tee shot is in the direction of arrow  146 , then the tee  142  and the ball  140  are accordingly positioned within the opening (i.e., opening  118  in  FIG. 1 ) adjacent to the right side (i.e., the second side  108  in  FIG. 1 ) of the planar body  104  as depicted. By positioning the tee  142  and ball the  140  as described, the mat  100  substantially covers the ground surface  102  that is immediately behind (relative to the desired direction of the tee shot) and to either side of the tee  142  that is most likely to be impacted by an errant swing. Further, the mat  100  may absorb the impact of an errant swing and deflect and/or disperse the forces of the club head across the mat  100  and away from the ground  130 , thereby maintaining the integrity of the grass surface  102  and reducing damage to the ground  130 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , illustrated therein is a flow chart of a method  200  for preventing damage to a grass surface during the performance of tee shots, in accordance with an embodiment. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the illustrated order is shown for exemplary purposes and may change in alternative embodiments. The method  200  may be implemented using the mat  100  of  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 . The elements from  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3  are identified in parenthesis for reference. 
     At  202 , a grass surface ( 102 ) is partially covered while allowing the access of water, nutrients, air and sunlight to the grass surface ( 102 ). The grass surface ( 102 ), may be partially covered by a mat ( 100 ) comprising a plurality of ground engagement members ( 122 ) and a planar body ( 104 ) including a plurality of gaps ( 114   a ,  114   b ). Water, nutrients, air and sunlight may access the grass surface ( 102 ) via the gaps ( 114   a ,  114   b ) in the planar body ( 104 ) of the mat ( 100 ) when the mat ( 100 ) is placed on the grass surface ( 102 ). Thus, the planar body ( 104 ) of the mat ( 100 ) partially covers the grass surface ( 102 ). 
     The mat ( 100 ) may be anchored to the grass surface ( 102 ) by driving the ground engagement members ( 122 ) through the grass surface ( 102 ) and into a ground ( 130 ) underlying the grass surface ( 102 ). The longitudinal center line ( 120 ) of the planar body ( 104 ) should be oriented in the desired direction of the tee shot. 
     At  204 , a tee ( 142 ) is placed within the partially covered grass surface. The tee ( 142 ) is placed within an opening ( 118 ) in the planar body ( 104 ) that is adjacent to a side ( 108  or  112 ) of the planar body ( 104 ) that is closest to the desired direction of the tee shot. For example, if the desired direction of the tee shot is in the direction of arrow  146  in  FIG. 3 , then the tee ( 142 ) is placed within the opening ( 118 ) that is adjacent to the right side ( 108 ) of the planar body ( 104 ). Preferably, the tee ( 142 ) is placed on the longitudinal center line ( 120 ) of the planar body ( 104 ) within the opening ( 118 ) to minimize the potential for contact of the mat ( 100 ) against the tee ( 142 ) if a golf club impacts the mat ( 100 ) prior to striking the golf ball ( 140 ). 
     At  206 , a golf ball ( 140 ) is placed on the tee ( 142 ). 
     At  208 , a user stands adjacent to the partially covered grass surface. The user may stand on an area ( 144 ) that is adjacent to either a first side ( 106 ) or a third side ( 110 ) of the mat ( 100 ) depending on the desired direction of the tee shot and the handedness of the user. For example, if the desired direction of the tee shot is in the direction of arrow  146  in  FIG. 3 , a right-handed user will stand adjacent to the third side ( 110 ), while a left-handed user will stand adjacent to the first side ( 106 ) in order to strike the ball ( 140 ) in the direction of arrow  146 . 
     At  210 , the user swings a golf club to strike the ball ( 140 ) off the tee ( 142 ) such that the path travelled by the golf club head immediately prior to striking the ball ( 140 ) is within the partially covered grass surface ( 102 ). As described above, the positioning of the tee ( 142 ) and the ball ( 140 ) are within the opening ( 188 ) that is adjacent to the side ( 108  or  112 ) of the planar body ( 104 ) that is closest to the desired direction of the tee shot. Thus, the planar body ( 104 ) substantially covers the ground surface  102  that is immediately behind and to either side (relative to the desired direction of the tee shot) of the tee  142  that is most likely to be impacted by an errant swing. The path travelled by the golf club head immediately prior to striking the ball ( 140 ) is within the planar body ( 104 ) of the mat ( 100 ) that is partially covering the grass surface ( 102 ). 
     An errant swing that does not strike the ball ( 140 ) will most likely impact the planar body ( 104 ) behind or to either side of the tee ( 142 ), relative to the direction of the tee shot. Thus, the grass surface ( 102 ) under the planar body ( 104 ) is protected from damage. 
     While the above description provides examples of one or more apparatus, methods, or systems, it will be appreciated that other apparatus, methods, or systems may be within the scope of the claims as interpreted by one of skill in the art.