Patent Publication Number: US-6702690-B1

Title: Golf putting trainer device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to golf putting trainers and more particularly pertains to a new golf putting trainer device for practicing one&#39;s putting stroke. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of golf putting trainers is known in the prior art. More specifically, golf putting trainers 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. 3,009,704; 3,685,833; 3,194,563; 5,527,041; 5,452,897; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 385,007. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new golf putting trainer device. The prior art includes golf mats but none with adjustable positioning light beam-emitting members. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general practicing one&#39;s putting stroke of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new golf putting trainer device which has many of the advantages of the golf putting trainers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new golf putting trainer device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art golf putting trainers, either alone or in any combination thereof. The present invention includes a mat assembly including an elongate mat having a top surface; and also includes a putter miss-stroke determination assembly including housing members being disposed upon the top surface of the elongate mat, and also including light beam-emitting members being disposed in the housing members, and further including light sensor members being disposed upon the top surface of the elongate mat; and also includes a putter miss-stroke signal assembly including a sound-producing member being disposed in the elongate mat and being connected to the light sensor members and being connected to a power cord for the energizing thereof, and also including a light-emitting member being disposed in the elongate mat and being connected to the light sensor members and to the power cord. None of the prior art includes the combination of the elements of the present invention. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the golf putting trainer device 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 practicing one&#39;s putting stroke of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new golf putting trainer device which has many of the advantages of the golf putting trainers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new golf putting trainer device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art golf putting trainers, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf putting trainer device for practicing one&#39;s putting stroke. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf putting trainer device that teaches the user to move the putter in a straight line resulting in muscle memorization and for putting the golf ball straight and true. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new golf putting trainer device that is easy and convenient to set up and use. 
    
    
     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 top perspective view of a new golf putting trainer device according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a detailed partial perspective view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a detailed partial cross-sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial top plan view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the sheet of non-slip material of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new golf putting trainer device 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 through 5, the golf putting trainer device  10  generally comprises a mat assembly including an elongate mat  11  having a top surface  12 . The top surface  12  of the elongate mat  11  includes synthetic grass simulating a putting green. The elongate mat  11  also includes a laterally-viewed inverted T-shaped elongate slot  14  being disposed in a longitudinal side edge near the second end thereof. The mat assembly further includes a sheet of non-slip material  15  being conventionally attached to a bottom side of the elongate mat  11  and being made of a rubber material. 
     A putter miss-stroke determination assembly includes housing members  16  being disposed upon the top surface  12  of the elongate mat  11 , and also includes light beam-emitting members  24  being conventionally disposed in the housing members  16 , and further includes light sensor members  25  being conventionally disposed upon the top surface  12  of the elongate mat  11 . Each of the housing members  16  has front, top, and bottom walls  17 - 19  and further has a hole  23  being disposed through the front wall  17  thereof and through which a respective light beam-emitting member directs a light beam. One of the housing members  16  also has a recessed end portion  20  being disposed in the top wall  18 ; and further has a rail  21  being integrally disposed upon the bottom wall  19  and being movably disposed in the laterally-viewed inverted T-shaped elongate slot  14 ; and also has a bore  22  being laterally disposed through the recessed end portion  20  thereof. The putter miss-stroke determination assembly further includes a fastening member being adjustably disposed in the laterally-viewed inverted T-shaped slot  14  for adjustably fastening the housing member  16  upon the elongate mat  11 . The fastening member includes a washer  26  being disposed in the laterally-viewed inverted T-shaped slot  14 ; and also includes a threaded bolt  27  having a threaded shaft portion  28  being threaded through the washer  26 , and also having a head portion  29  and a collar portion  30  being engageable to the top surface  12  of the elongate mat  11  to securely and adjustably fasten the housing member  16  to the elongate mat  11 . 
     A putter miss-stroke signal assembly includes a sound-producing member  31  being conventionally disposed in the elongate mat  11  and being conventionally connected to the light sensor members  25  and being conventionally connected toga power cord  34  for the energizing thereof, and also includes a light-emitting member  32  being conventionally disposed in the elongate mat  11  and being conventionally connected to the light sensor members  25  and to the power cord  34 . The putter miss-stroke signal assembly further includes a speaker  33  being conventionally disposed in the top surface  12  of the elongate mat  11  and being conventionally connected to the, sound-producing member  31 . The light-emitting member  32  is conventionally disposed in the top surface  12  of the elongate mat  11  and is capable of flashing upon interruption of any of the beams of light by a putter. 
     In use, the user adjusts the positioning of one of the housing members  16  upon the elongate-mat  11  and energizes the light beam-emitting members  24  and the sound-producing member  31  and the light-emitting member  32 , and the light sensor members  25 . The user then places a golf ball on the top surface  12  of the elongate mat  11 , and strokes the golf ball with a putter. If the putter while stroking the golf ball comes into contact with any one of the beams of light, the light-emitting member  32  would flash and the sound-producing member  31  would be actuated and an alarm sound would be sounded through the speaker  33 . The user would continue to practice one&#39;s putting until one&#39;s putting stroke is perfected without coming into contact with any one of the beams of light being directed longitudinally along the elongate mat  11 . 
     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 golf putting trainer device. 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.