Patent Publication Number: US-7716859-B1

Title: Golf club bag tag

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention generally relates to golf accessories, and more particularly to a golf club bag tag integrating a number of golf tools. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   Repairing the divot on the green after a golf ball hit is considered a responsibility of the golfer, especially when there is no caddie to do the work. There is a fork-like divot repair tool (or it is called Green Fork by the Japanese or the Europeans) often used by the golfers to repair the divot on green. 
   In addition to the divot repair tool, the golf ball marker that marks the location of the golf ball on the green is also a common accessory to the golfers. However, the golfers often forget to carry the divot repair tool and the golf ball marker with them to the field. On the other hand, most golf club bags have a tag attached to them for identification purpose only. Therefore, an integration of the golf club bag tag with the divot repair tool and/or the golf ball marker would be very handy for the golfers. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A golf club bag tag of the present invention contains a tag body, a connection element, and at least a golf tool. The tag body has a first major surface with an indentation for the embedment of the golf tool. The tag body could be hung on a golf club bag or a waist belt of the golfer by the connection element so that a golfer would not forget to bring the golf tool. 
   On the second major surface of the tag body, the tag body has another indentation where a mark or name plate is embedded. 
   Both the golf tool and the indentation could contain a magnetic element or, alternatively, one of them contains a magnetic element while the other one contains a metallic material. As such, the golf tool is reliably held in the indentation by magnetic attraction. 
   The aforementioned magnetic element is embedded in a protrusion of the golf tool or inside the indentation. 
   The tag body could further contain a number of swiveling arms on the first major surface. The swiveling arms could be turned to prevent the golf tool from falling off from the indentation. 
   The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
   Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram showing a first major surface of a golf club bag tag according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded diagram showing the components of the first major surface of the golf club bag tag of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded diagram showing the components of the first tool of the golf club bag tag of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective diagram showing the second major surface of the golf club bag tag of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective exploded diagram showing the components of the second major surface of the golf club bag tag of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing an application scenario of the golf club bag tag of  FIG. 1  where it is hung on a golf club bag. 
       FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  are schematic diagrams showing another two application scenarios of the golf club bag tag of  FIG. 1  where it is hung on a golfer&#39;s waist belt. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective diagram showing another embodiment of the first tool of the golf club bag tag. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective diagram showing a golf club bag tag according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective diagram showing a golf club bag tag according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a golf club bag tag according to a first embodiment of the present invention contains a flat tag body  10 , a connection element  20  such as a belt, a flat first tool  30  such as divot repair tool, and a flat second tool  40  such as a golf ball marker. 
   The flat tag body  10  has a first major surface  11  and a second major surface  12  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). On the first major surface  11 , the tag body  10  has a first indentation  111  whose shape substantially conforms to that of the first tool  30  so as to accommodate the first tool  30 . The first indentation  111  is extended outward from its circumference to form at least a shallower first groove  112 . Inside the first indentation  111 , there are two first protrusions  113 , each embedded with a magnetic element  114 . Similarly, the tag body  10  has a second indentation  115  on the first major surface  11  whose shape substantially conforms to that of the second tool  40  so as to accommodate the second tool  40 . The second indentation  115  is extended outward from its circumference to form a shallower second groove  116 . Inside the second indentation  115 , there is a second protrusion  117  embedded with a magnetic element  118 . On the second major surface  12 , the tag body  10  has a third indentation  121  where mark plate  122  and a name plate  124  are both embedded. In the present embodiment, the mark plate  122  has a through opening  123  where the name plate  124  is fitted. 
   The tag body  10  also has a ring element  13  along a circumference of the tag body  10  for joining with the connection element  20  which, in the present embodiment, is a belt running through the ring element  13  and has a buckle for closing the belt and for adjusting the length of the belt. 
   The first tool  30  of the present embodiment is a divot repair tool. The first tool  30  has a through opening  31  and an indentation  32  on a second major surface, both located correspondingly to the first protrusions  113 . The first tool  30  also has a metallic mark plate  33  embedded into a first major surface of the first tool  30  and covers the through opening  31  so that the through opening  31  becomes a blind hole. When the first tool  30  is placed inside the first indentation  111  of the tag body  10 , the first protrusions  113  are accommodated by the through opening  31  and the indentation  32 , respectively. The metallic mark plate  33  is attracted by the magnetic element  114  through the through opening  31  so that the first tool  30  does not fall off from the first indentation  111 . In an alternative embodiment, the metallic mark plate  33  is replaced by a magnetic mark plate. 
   The second tool  40  is a golf ball marker and could be made of a metallic or magnetic material. On a second major surface of the second tool  40 , there is an indentation  41  located correspondingly to the second protrusion  117 . When the second tool  40  is placed inside the second indentation  115  of the tag body  10 , the second protrusion  117  is accommodated by the indentation  41 . The second tool  40  is attracted by the magnetic element  118  of the second protrusion  117  so that the second tool  40  does not fall off from the second indentation  115 . Please note that some pattern or mark is directly engraved on a first major surface of the second tool  40 . 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 6 ,  7   a , and  7   b , the golf club bag tag of the present embodiment could be hung on a ring  51  of a golf club bag  50  or on a waist belt  60  of a golfer. As such, the golfer will never forget to bring the golf ball marker  40  and the divot repair tool  30  and the originally dull bag tag has become a more valuable accessory. 
   Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 7   b  where the mark plate  122  and the name plate  124  are faced outward, the bag tag still maintains its advertisement and identification purpose. 
     FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the first tool. As illustrated, the first tool  30   a  has its mark plate  33   a  made of a non-metallic material. However, on a major surface of the mark plate  33   a  that is to face the tag body  10 , there is a metallic or magnetic element  331   a  located correspondingly to one of the first protrusions  113  so that the first tool  30   a  could still be held reliably by magnetic attraction between the mark plate  33   a  and a magnetic element  114 . 
     FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of the tag body. As illustrated, the tag body  10   a  has a first indentation  111   a  whose shape substantially conforms to a third tool  70  which, in the present embodiment, is a single-prong divot repair tool. 
     FIG. 10  shows yet another embodiment of the tag body. As illustrated, for each tool carried with the tag body  10 , there are swiveling arms  14 ,  15 , and  16  located on the first major surface  11  and adjacent to the tools  30  and  40 , respectively. By turning the swiveling arms  14 ,  15 , and  16  so that they are extended in front of the tools  30  and  40 , the tools  30  and  40  are further prevented from falling off from the first and second indentations  111  and  115 . Then, by turning the swiveling arms  14 ,  15 , and  16  so that they are not interfering with the tools  30  and  40 , the tools  30  and  40  could be removed as usual. 
   While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.