Patent Publication Number: US-6341752-B1

Title: Golf tee support

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to golf tees and more particularly pertains to a new golf tee support for preventing movement of the tee after the golf ball is hit. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of golf tees is known in the prior art. More specifically, golf tees heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,170; 2,839,304; 5,413,348; 4,998,732, U.S. Des. Pat. No. 91,150, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,966,214; 3,606,344. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new golf tee support. The inventive device includes a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending therebetween. The top wall has a bore therein. A coil spring has a first end and a second end. The first end of the coil spring is fixedly mounted on the bottom wall of the housing. A rod has a first end and a second end. The first end of the rod is tapered to a pointed tip. The second end of the rod is fixedly coupled to the second end of the spring. 
     In these respects, the golf tee support according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing movement of the tee after the golf ball is hit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of golf tees now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new golf tee support construction wherein the same can be utilized for preventing movement of the tee after the golf ball is hit. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new golf tee support apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the golf tees mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new golf tee support which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art golf tees, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending, therebetween. The top wall has a bore therein. A coil spring has a first end and a second end. The first end of the coil spring is fixedly mounted on the bottom wall of the housing. A rod has a first end and a second end. The first end of the rod is tapered to a pointed tip. The second end of the rod is fixedly coupled to the second end of the spring. 
     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 additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, 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. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, not is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new golf tee support apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the golf tees mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new golf tee support which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art golf tees, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new golf tee support which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new golf tee support which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new golf tee support which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such golf tee support economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf tee support which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf tee support for preventing movement of the tee after the golf ball is hit. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf tee support which includes a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending therebetween. The top wall has a bore therein. A coil spring has a first end and a second end. The first end of the coil spring is fixedly mounted on the bottom wall of the housing. A rod has a first end and a second end. The first end of the rod is tapered to a pointed tip. The second end of the rod is fixedly coupled to the second end of the spring. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf tee support that has a bore therein for receiving a tee. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf tee support that keeps the tee at a predetermined height after the hit so that beginning golfers do not have to constantly adjust a new tee after every hit. 
     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 made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated 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 is a schematic perspective view of a new golf tee support according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, a new golf tee support embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the golf tee support  10  generally comprises a housing  12  having a top wall  14 , a bottom wall  16  and a peripheral wall  18  extending therebetween. The housing  12  is substantially solid. The top wall  14  has a bore  20  therein. The bore  20  has a depth generally between one and two inches. The top  14  and bottom walls  16  have a generally rectangular shape. A juncture  22  of the peripheral wall  18  and the top wall  14  forms an angled edge. The peripheral wall  18  preferably has a height between one and three inches. The top wall  14  has a width preferably between one inch and one and a half inches. Ideally, the housing  12  is made from an elastomeric material. 
     A coil spring  24  has a first end  26  and a second end  28 . The first end  26  of the coil spring is fixedly mounted on the bottom wall  16  of the housing. 
     A rod  30  has a first end  32  and a second end  34 . The rod  30  has an exterior surface  36 , which is threaded. The first end  32  of the rod  30  is tapered to a pointed tip  36 . The second end  34  of the rod  30  is fixedly coupled to the second end  28  of the coil spring  24  such that the second end  34  is received in a portion of a center channel of the coil spring  24 . The first end  32  of the rod  30  is insertable in a ground surface. 
     A tee  38  has a head portion  40  adapted for resting a golf ball upon. The tee has a bottom portion  42 . The bottom portion  42  has a pointed end  44 . The pointed end  44  is removably insertable in the bore  20  in the housing  12 . The head portion  40  has a width substantially equal to one-half a width of the housing  12 . 
     In use, the pointed tip  32  of the rod portion  30  is placed in the ground. The tee  38  is placed in the bore  20  and a golf ball is placed on the tee  38 . When the golf ball is hit, the tee  38  stays in its place and a the desired height. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     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, materials, 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.