Patent Publication Number: US-6216864-B1

Title: Individual gold club holder for golf bag

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to golf bags, and more specifically to an individual golf club holder for installation in a golf bag to hold a golf club in the golf bag. 
     A golf bag may be equipped with a partition block in the top cuff for keeping storage golf clubs in good order. The partition block has through holes through which golf clubs are respectively inserted into the inside of the golf bag. However, the partition block cannot stop the grips of the storage golf clubs from touching one another. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides individual golf club holders for installation in a golf bag to hold golf clubs in the golf bag individually. According to the present invention, the a tubular body, the tubular body having multiple sets of vertically spaced through holes spaced around the periphery of a bottom end thereof, a top cap and a bottom cap covered on top and bottom ends of the tubular body, the top cap having a center hole through which a golf club is inserted into the tubular body, and a plurality of golf club retainers respectively installed in the through holes on the tubular body for engagement with the periphery of the golf club inserted into the tubular body. In one embodiment of the present invention, the golf club retainers each have a plurality of flexible retaining rods suspended in the tubular body for engagement with the golf club inserted into the tubular body. In another embodiment of the present invention, the golf club retainers each have a plurality of plastic brushes suspended in the tubular body for engagement with the golf club inserted into the tubular body. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the outer appearance of an individual golf club holder for golf bag according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the golf club holder for golf bag shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an extended out view of the lower end of the tubular body of the individual golf club holder according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view in an enlarged scale taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view in an enlarged scale of the golf club holder for golf bag shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the present invention, showing a golf club inserted into the tubular body, the flexible retaining elements deformed and forced into engagement with the periphery of the grip of the inserted golf club. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of an individual golf club holder for golf bag according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing the arrangement of the golf club retainers in the tubular body. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention, showing a golf club inserted into the tubular body, the flexible retaining rods deformed and forced into engagement with the periphery of the grip of the inserted golf club. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view in section of an individual golf club holder for golf bag according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the individual golf club holder for golf bag according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a side view in section of an individual golf club holder for golf bag according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the individual golf club holder for golf bag according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 13 is an applied view of the present invention, showing individual golf club holders installed in a golf bag. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. from  1  through  4  and FIG. 13, an individual golf club holder is installed in a golf bag  3  to hold a golf club, comprising a tubular body  1 , a top cap  13 , and a bottom cap  14 . The top cap  13  and the bottom cap  14  are respectively covered on top and bottom ends of the tubular body  1 . The top cap  13  has a circular center hole through which a golf club is inserted into the tubular body  1 . The tubular body  1  has longitudinal rows of through holes  11  spaced around the periphery near the bottom end thereof. A plurality of golf club retainers  12  are installed in the longitudinal rows of through holes  11  for engagement with the golf club inserted into the tubular body  1 . Each golf club retainer  12  comprises a connecting rod  122  disposed outside the tubular body  1 , and a plurality of retaining elements  121  respectively perpendicularly extended from the connecting rod  122  and respectively inserted through one longitudinal row of through holes  11  into the inside of the tubular body  1 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS. 2 and 4 again, the retaining elements  121  of the golf club retainers  12  are flexible retaining rods radially suspended in the tubular body  1 . When inserting a golf club  2  into the tubular body  1 , the flexible retaining rods  121  are curved downwards and forced into engagement with the periphery of the grip of the inserted golf club  2 , and therefore the inserted golf club  2  is firmly held down in the tubular body  1 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, as an alternate form of the present invention, the golf club retainers  12  are spirally arranged in the tubular body  1 . When inserting a golf club  2  into the tubular body  1 , the flexible retaining rods  121  of the golf club retainers  12  are curved sideways and forced into engagement with the periphery of the grip of the inserted golf club  2 , and therefore the inserted golf club  2  is firmly held down in the tubular body  1 . 
     Referring to FIGS. from  2  through  6 , the longitudinal rows of through holes  11  are alternatively arranged at different elevations around the periphery of the tubular body  1 , so that the flexible retaining rods  121  of the golf club retainers  12  can positively hold down the inserted golf club  2 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, as another alternate form of the present invention, the flexible retaining elements  121  of the golf club retainers  12  are plastic brushes. When inserting a golf club into the tubular body  1 , the plastic brushes  121  are deformed and forced into engagement with the periphery of the grip of the inserted golf club. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 and  4  through  10  again, the bottom cap  14  comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves  141  spaced around the inside wall thereof for the positioning of the connecting rods  122  of the golf club retainers  12 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, as still another alternate form of the present invention, the tubular body  1 ′ comprises pairs of vertically spaced through holes  11 ′, and a plurality of golf club retainers  12 ′ are respectively installed in the through holes  11 ′ for holding down the inserted golf club. The golf club retainers  12 ′ are smoothly arched springy wires suspended in the tubular body  1 ′, each smoothly arched springy wire having two distal ends  121 ′ respectively fastened to one pair of vertically spaced through holes  11 ′.